PHOENIX — Democratic candidate for governor Katie Hobbs’ campaign confirmed Wednesday to 12News that she will have a one-on-one, 30-minute interview on Arizona PBS on Oct. 18.
“They called, we said we’ll be there,” said Hobbs’ communications director Joseph Wolf.
>> Editor's note: The above video is from a previously aired broadcast.
Hobbs was on MSNBC earlier in the day revealing the scheduled interview.
Hank Stephenson of the Arizona Agenda was the first to suggest Hobbs might get the interview.
The abrupt decision to give Hobbs an interview comes just hours before what was supposed to be a debate with her Republican opponent, Kari Lake.
Hobbs’ refusal to engage in a debate resulted in the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, the debate organizer, scheduling a one-on-one interview with Lake instead.
But the commission announced Wednesday it was postponing the Lake interview after learning PBS had scheduled a separate event with Hobbs.
RELATED: 'Debate' debacle results in Elections Commission postponing Kari Lake's televised interview
Hobbs’ campaign wanted separate interviews, but was turned down. Hobbs' campaign manager said a debate with Lake, who falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, would be filled with “constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling.”
Lake issued a blistering statement in response to PBS' decision:
"We just learned hours before airtime of tonight's Clean Elections Commission debate that PBS has unilaterally caved to Katie Hobbs' demands and bailed her out from the consequences of her cowardly decision to avoid debating me on stage. As the CEC's broadcast partner, PBS' actions are a slap in the face to the commissioners of the CEC and a betrayal of their efforts to put on an actual debate. Remember, the CEC specifically voted against Katie Hobbs' demand for her own one-on-one interview, but PBS went behind the CEC's backs and agreed to give her one anyway. That's because PBS, a supposedly-objective taxpayer-funded entity, is working overtime to help elect Katie Hobbs, who needs all the help she can get. PBS has now become complicit in Katie Hobbs' attempt to destroy twenty years of gubernatorial debate tradition. We are actively working with the Clean Elections Commission and we continue to push for an opportunity for a real debate with both candidates on stage."
During the Democratic primary, Hobbs’ rejection of a debate resulted in PBS doing a one-on-one interview with her opponent, Marco Lopez.
The Clean Elections Commission, which was created by Arizona voters more than 20 years ago, has worked with Arizona PBS for years as a broadcast partner on federal and state debates.
The commission formally reviewed Hobbs’ request last month for separate interviews, instead of a debate, and turned her down.
"We don't have any information about PBS' decision-making at all,” Thomas Collins, the commission’s executive director, said Wednesday.
“The commission met its obligations... Under the clean elections law, we had a full and fair vetting of Secretary Hobbs’ proposal, and it was rejected.”
PBS has released the following statement regarding the Hobbs interview:
"Arizona PBS has offered both Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs a 30-minute interview as candidates for governor, as part of our Horizon news program. It is our responsibility as a news agency to provide the public with access to the candidates who are running for office so they can learn more and make informed decisions."
Gina Roberts, the Voter Education Director with the Clean Elections Commission said they still plan to interview Lake, but a specific date has not been set.
Decision 2022
Arizonans will go to the polls this November for the midterm elections. Here's everything you need to know leading up to election night.