U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, and Republican challenger Joe Kent of Yacolt will face off in an October debate on KATU News.
The live debate is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 7 on Channel 2.
The race has garnered national attention because the seat could decide control of the U.S. House, where Republicans currently hold a slim 219-213 majority. The 3rd Congressional District is one of five competitive Pacific Northwest races that could tip the scales in one party’s favor.
A rematch between Perez and Kent has long been expected. Perez defeated Kent by just 2,629 votes in 2022. The seat was previously held by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler for 12 years before Kent, a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate, bested her in a hard-fought primary.
The KATU debate will be the first time Perez and Kent have faced each other since 2022. However, the candidates have been sparring over social media for months.
“The primary is behind us, and it’s time for Congresswoman Perez to stop hiding behind social media, name-calling and fake town halls with prescreened questions,” Kent said in a news release. “While I look forward to a civil debate, I will nonetheless hold Perez accountable for her record of broken promises and votes cast in lockstep with the Biden-Harris administration that have harmed the families of Southwest Washington.”
Perez hit back on social media, calling Kent a “drama queen.”
“I fully expect you to come up with an excuse to pull out of the debate the day before,” she wrote. “Either way, I’ll be there.”
Additional forums
Perez and Kent were both expected to attend a “meet the candidates” event hosted by the Clark County Public Safety Alliance on Aug. 25. However, Kent pulled out of the event a few days beforehand. Perez attended the event, which was moderated by former Clark County Councilor Temple Lentz and local philanthropist Michael Lynch.
According to Jim Mains, a Vancouver businessman who helped organize the event, the Kent campaign agreed to participate months ago but canceled a few days before due to a “scheduling error.”
A representative with the Kent campaign did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Kent also did not participate in a “get to know the candidates” interview series hosted by the League of Women Voters of Clark County in July.
“It’s odd for a challenger to dodge a debate with an incumbent, but Joe Kent’s an odd guy,” Phil Gardner, a senior adviser with the Perez campaign, said in a news release.
Perez’s campaign announced Monday she has agreed to five debates and forums between now and Election Day.
“Joe Kent has agreed to only one and already backed out of another,” said Tim Gowen, Perez’s campaign manager. “This race has clear differences, and we are proud to contrast Marie’s positive vision for Southwest Washington with Joe Kent’s dark, doomsday, kooky ideas.”