U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye backed out of the Richmond Tea Party convention debate late Friday, leaving Republican Scott Rigell and Independent Kenny Golden to share the conservative platform without a Democrat.
Nye, a freshman Democrat facing a tough re-election bid, was confirmed for the Saturday morning debate before the tea party faithful. But his spokeswoman, Leah Nelson, said that Nye decided to stay in the 2nd District to talk with voters at Phoebus Days.
“He felt it was more important to have communications with constituents in his district,” Nelson said. “I don’t really have any explanation for the timing of it. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be walking around and talking to people (in Phoebus) in a pretty casual way.”
Nelson said Nye would still appear with Rigell and Golden during the League Of Women voters debate in Norfolk Saturday evening.
In Richmond, we’ll have coverage from the morning debate —10 a.m. start — which comes on the heels of new polling data showing that the tea party promises to cut both ways on Election Day. According to a new poll by The Hill magazine, 44 percent of independents in Hampton Roads have an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party.
Nye must be scared, spending so much money on television ads. But he'll probably win with the Tea Party and GOP splitting the vote. Remember how Woodrow Wilson got elected? Teddy Roosevelt took votes from Taft.
Posted by: Herman King | Saturday, October 09, 2010 at 09:22 AM
Lets see. 1. Ignore a majority of the voters who want lower taxes, cut spending and smaller govt for a few hundred or less voter. Nye just don't want to face real world questions and he knows he is domed and will be fired this fall.
Posted by: truth1 | Saturday, October 09, 2010 at 09:14 AM
Yeah, there's an idea. What's in it for him?
Debates should be in an unbiased forum.
Posted by: Dean | Saturday, October 09, 2010 at 01:11 AM