With the general election for state Senate District 32 coming up in 10 days, Democrat A.J. Cooper and Republican Lee “Trip” Pittman will have only one “debate” together at the Daphne Civic Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

But, Cooper believes that the two candidates - who are running for a seat that represents most of the county - should have at least four debates, at locations throughout the county, and that this “debate” in Daphne is instead a good place to give a political stump speech rather than an actual debate.  

“You cannot refer to the other person’s party…or positions,” Cooper said about the Daphne venue sponsored by the League of Women Voters.  “Basically, you can just talk about yourself.

“This is what you have for high school debates or college debates.”

Jeanne Lacey, ex-officio president with the league, said that the “debate’s main purpose is to air the topic,” and that the candidates’ will state their position on the topics selected by the moderators and then their opponent will be allowed to state their stance.

“What we do want to see is how they handle the discussion,” Lacey said.  “Can they reason, can they adjust, can they absorb?”

The general rules do say that “no references may be made to or about other candidates or political parties at any time.”  

Cooper, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, sent an email to Pittman two days after Pittman’s victory over Randy McKinney, a member state school board, in the Republican runoff.

In the email, Cooper asked Pittman to “to participate in as many citizen forums as possible in order to share our respective views with the citizens of Baldwin County to help them in making the most informed choice possible in selecting their next State Senator.”  

Pittman said he did not respond to the email, nor is he willing to commit to more debates other than the Daphne forum.  

“Mr. Cooper and I debated several times during the primaries,” Pittman said.  “We agreed to do one debate with him in Daphne, the League of Women Voters.

“We’ve talked to people all over the county and discussed the issues and I think people know who Trip Pittman is.”

Cooper said that he participated in four “forums” during the Republican primary with Pittman and the four other Republican candidates where each was allowed to state their positions, but they did not argue, rebut or debate each other

One forum was at a private residence on the Fort Morgan peninsula which had candidates taking turns sitting in a chair in front of about 15 people, stating their political views for 10 minutes, but “that’s not a debate,” Cooper said.  

At another forum in Gulf Shores, Cooper said the five Republican candidates and himself were seated at a table where they were allowed to give an opening remark, followed by a question and answer session, and then a closing remark.

But, Cooper said, that was not a debate either.  

Pittman said Cooper and the Republican candidates also discussed political issues at a “realtor sponsored forum” in Summerdale during the primary and at a large public gathering, sponsored by Citizens for a Responsible Government, at the Fairhope Civic Center in July.  

Citizens for Responsible Government - a non-partisan group in Fairhope with Republican, Democratic and Libertarian members - again invited Cooper and Pittman to an actual debate shortly after Pittman won the Republican nomination, according to the group’s members in phone interviews.  

Pittman turned down the second invitation when he learned that Cooper was a member of that organization, he said.  

He added: “We debated two or three times already and we got one more” in Daphne.  

Cooper said that the Citizens for Responsible Government debate would have allowed a “substantive discussion” with direct arguments and rebuttals rather than the League of Women Voters format which does not allow the candidates to make references about one another.

Edward Lawrence, secretary of the group, said Trip’s campaign conveyed to them that he did want to debate, but, “later on, (his campaign spokesperson) said the reason he didn’t want too is because A.J. Cooper is a member.”

“We don’t endorse specific candidates; we work with issues,” Lawrence noted.  

Harvey Joanning, president of the group, said, “I’m confused as to why Pittman is not debating.

“I don’t agree that we are biased. …I’m a staunch independent and I want to hear what they have to say.”

Joanning noted that the invitation is still open to Pittman “but we’re running out of time.”

“Mr. Cooper is trying to create news (and) get publicity about his candidacy,” Pittman said.  

Cooper said that although time is running out “we could have a debate a day, and he and I could sponsor them.

“We’ll be at such and such a place at such and such a time; come hear us.”

The general election will be held Oct 16.