Overview
- Republican candidates used a WMTW televised forum to attack Bobby Charles for not appearing and for pitching what rivals called an unrealistic $4 billion budget cut.
- Charles is bypassing two TV debates this week while promoting an internal poll that claims he leads and urges Republicans to rally behind him.
- WMTW invited every qualified candidate but the station said Charles missed the commitment deadline, while he said he declined another debate because longshot Robert Wessels was excluded by those hosts.
- The fight has widened as super PACs and self-funding shape the field, with backers of Jonathan Bush airing an AI video ad about Charles and Ben Midgley loaning his bid at least $750,000.
- Ranked-choice rules on June 9 push contenders to court second-choice support, which surfaced in a Democratic debate where contenders focused on President Trump and Nirav Shah named Hannah Pingree as his No. 2.