◼ It would benefit voters to hear both candidates articulate their positions on important issues. - LA Times Editorial
Sen. Dianne Feinstein had an excuse for not debating her opponents in the first round of this year's election — there were 23 of them. But now that the voters have winnowed the field to two, the four-term Democratic incumbent owes it to California's voters to appear publicly with Republican challenger Elizabeth Emken.
Emken, an advocate for autistic children, is obviously the underdog in this election. But she received 12.6% of the primary vote in the crowded field, almost twice as many votes as the third-place finisher. More to the point, as the only alternative to Feinstein, she has earned the right to challenge the incumbent on the issues — and to be challenged in return. It would be a disservice to the voters — and perhaps self-defeating — for Feinstein to remain aloof from any give and take with her opponent.
...Feinstein's long tenure and familiarity with California were obviously assets for her in the primary — she is, by most measures, the state's most highly regarded public official. But the risk for any long-serving official is the perception that she is taking her public trust for granted. Nothing screams "entrenched incumbent" more than a refusal to debate an opponent.
Elizabeth Emken