Anticipated Honda-Khanna Debate May Occur Three Weeks Before Election Day

Ro Khanna, Rep. Mike Honda

CONGRESS | 17TH DISTRICT | Ro Khanna wants a debate and he just might get his wish. Except, it may not happen until after vote-by-mail ballots have already been in the hands of voters for at least 10 days.

The Huffington Post and officials from San Jose State University say Rep. Mike Honda’s campaign has agreed to a single debate in mid-October, according to San Jose Inside. However, the date may have been made without input from Khanna’s campaign. Nevertheless, Khanna is game for the chance to match wits and positions with Honda. He just thinks the much-anticipated matchup should occur before the first ballots can be marked in early October.

Vote-by-mail ballot are due to be sent by county registars on Oct. 6 , roughly one month before the November General Election. Honda’s campaign told the South Bay political site, the date of the planned debate will either be Tuesday, Oct. 14, or Thursday, Oct. 16 and feature a single moderator and questions posed by the local press and San Jose State faculty.

Even before the June primary, there had been much debate over the lack of a debate between the two Democrats. At a endorsement meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle, Honda told editors he was amendable to debates in the plural. However, following a strong first place finish in the primary, Honda’s campaign stepped back from the congressman’s comment in favor of a single faceoff sometime before the Nov. 4 election.