The race to be the next sheriff of Brevard County is shaping up to be one of the most watched elections in the state, with a Maurice Chammah of The Marshall Project calling it “Trump against Black Lives Matter” in an article written last week which was picked up by NBC.

Organized jointly by Florida Today and The League of Women Voters, the debate was scheduled for October 8th. Both The League of Women Voters and Florida Today reached out to Edmond back in June inviting him to participate. It would have been a great opportunity for the people of Brevard County to get to know the candidates running for sheriff of Brevard County and their respective platforms, but Sheriff Wayne Ivey has decided to back out of the debate.

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The official reason for Ivey’s deciding to back out of the debate is unclear. As of the writing of this I have been unable to reach the coordinator of the debate at Florida Today. Attempts to reach Ivey’s campaign for official comment resulted in being hung up on.

Ivey has made it clear that he does not consider Florida Today a “credible news source” and has refused to answer questions from or give their reporters comments on numerous occasions. Florida Today currently also has a lawsuit against Ivey, scheduled for trial next month, seeking the release of the jail security footage showing the final moments of combat veteran Gregory Edwards’s life.

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In an official statement released by his campaign, Edmond said “I am disappointed to learn my opponent has backed out of a debate sponsored by the hard-working and selfless people at The League of Women Voters of the Space Coast, Eastern Florida State College, and Florida Today. I thank everyone involved in coordinating the debate.” Edmond went on to urge Ivey to reconsider backing out “so as not to let the people down, again.”

At this point it is unclear if Ivey will reconsider backing out of the debate. In one of the most important races for Brevard County the people should absolutely be afforded the opportunity to hear where each candidate stands on the issues, where their platforms differ, and where they agree. The lack of a debate in this race leaves Brevard County residents in the dark.

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