Veteran East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney won't commit to a debate with her Democratic challenger Reshma Saujani.
In an interview with NBCNewYork, Maloney danced around the direct question "do you intend to debate?" Maloney said her campaign staff was talking to Saujani's campaign staff and "the facts will come out and we're working forward."
After repeated follow up questions about whether she'll debate, Maloney would only say "we're considering it. Stay tuned."
Saujani's campaign disputes Maloney's claim that her staff is engaging in any debate related discussions.
Maloney advisors insist they'll trounce Saujani, 34, an Indian-American hedge fund attorney. But Saujani says Maloney is "running scared."
On Tuesday, a Saujani's campaign fired back and said Maloney had been ducking them entirely.
"Last night, when WNBC asked Carolyn Maloney whether she would be debating Reshma, the Congresswoman said that 'my campaign staff is talking to her campaign staff.' We must have missed those calls and emails -- because that’s news to us," said Saujani's manager Keving Lawlor. ""For more than three months, Maloney has consistently ignored requests to debate from both our campaign and third-party groups...On May 10th, the Maloney campaign signed for a letter inviting her to a series of debates with Reshma. Yet there has been no effort from her staff to even contact our campaign to discuss the issue."
