criticizing Cotton as absent

Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton was not in the room as his Democratic and Libertarian challengers debated Monday, but criticism of the Arkansas lawmaker’s record and his absence from the debate took center stage.

Cotton, who is seeking his third term in the Senate, didn’t participate in the Arkansas TV debate with Democrat Hallie Shoffner and Libertarian Jeff Wadlin. Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, instead attended a birthday party for World War II veteran and family friend Jock Davis Monday, campaign spokesperson James Arnold said in an email.

Shoffner and Wadlin barely acknowledged each other during the debate, and their focus on Cotton was apparent from the get-go.

“Where is Tom Cotton? He’s not here, because he either thinks he’s too good or he’s too scared, and neither one of those works for Arkansas,” Shoffner said in her response to the first question.

The second question was about Cotton’s absence. Jeff Wadlin, the Libertarian candidate, took the opportunity to call the incumbent “a coward and a hypocrite.”

“Twelve years ago he badgered Senator (Mark) Pryor about not showing up to debate him. Well, where is Senator Tom Cotton today?” Wadlin said. He said he’s travelled to all of Arkansas’ 75 counties as part of his campaign, and the message he’s heard has been consistent: “The consensus I’ve heard from Arkansans is that they want (Cotton) fired.”

Cotton has repeatedly criticized Shoffner on immigration issues and his campaign has vastly outspent hers. Shoffner and Cotton accepted an invitation to debate by conservative Christian news outlet Salem Media. Wadlin said during the debate Monday that he was excluded.

The Cook Political Report sees the Senate race as solidly Republican, though local polling found Shoffner with a slight edge over Cotton in August — though still within the margin of error for the poll. 

Panelists’ questions touched on topics ranging from the war in Iran to immigration to economic development to college athletics. 

Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer, frequently steered the conversation back to criticism of Cotton on issues like his past votes against the Farm Bill that sets policy for an array of food and agriculture programs. Wadlin frequently quipped that many of the issues plaguing Americans were a result of Democrats and Republicans “somehow working together to generate terrible outcomes.”

Both candidates also worked to differentiate themselves from their parties. Shoffner said that she would have voted to advance the Farm Bill out of the Senate Agriculture Committee that Senate Democrats voted against because of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program.

Wadlin put distance between himself and the Libertarian Party’s preference for less economic regulation when responding to a question about the Protect College Sports Act, which would grant the NCAA a limited anti-trust exemption to enforce eligibility and transfer rules if it passes the House. It passed the Senate last month.

While Wadlin was opposed to the legislation, he said that in general “we need to stand up to industry consolidation because monopolies and oligopolies are costing Arkansas farmers.”

The candidates also decried the war in Iran, with Shoffner saying she would vote to end the war if elected and Wadlin saying Congress needed to exercise its authority under the Constitution to rein in the war. Cotton has defended the Trump administration on the war and has voted against war powers resolutions aimed at blocking military action against Iran.

“As I travel around the state, people don’t ask me the details of the war in Iran. They wanna know why we’re there,” Shoffner said. “Tom Cotton can’t give us a good answer.”