FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 2024 | CONTACT:Cait@texansfordade.com
BEAUMONT, TX - Speaker of the House and State Representative for House District 21 Dade Phelan today announced he has accepted an invitation from KFDM/Fox 4 of Beaumont to debate David Covey in a live, televised event on the evening of May 7, 2024. The proposed debate would offer Southeast Texans an opportunity to hear from the candidates in a neutral, public format for the very first time.
"I am deeply committed to telling the truth about my record and vision for House District 21 and believe that Southeast Texas voters are owed the opportunity to make an informed choice – especially in such a pivotal, high-stakes runoff election,” said Dade Phelan. “I look forward to participating in this debate and thank our sponsors for their commitment to a fair and productive discussion.”
Despite repeated requests from debate hosts, David Covey has so far refused to accept the invitation to stand on the debate stage and offer a vision to the voters of Southeast Texas. His silence raises serious questions about his commitment to transparency and readiness to address the critical issues facing House District 21.
“David Covey has more than demonstrated his willingness to blindly parrot any script handed to him by his West Texas billionaire backers, but the constituents of House District 21 demand and deserve much more than his rehearsed rhetoric,” Phelan added. “Southeast Texans deserve a debate where real questions are asked and real answers are required. Ducking David is refusing to engage in a neutral and public forum, to face me directly, or to present even a single, solitary idea to the people he claims to want to serve, which speaks volumes. What is Ducking David hiding?"
As May 7th approaches, Speaker Dade Phelan calls on David Covey to accept the debate invitation and join in a transparent, truthful discussion about the future of House District 21.