Idaho Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones wants to debate Judge John Bradbury, who is challenging a different Supreme Court justice, Roger Burdick, in next month’s election. In a letter to Bradbury, Jones said he wants to debate some of the statements Bradbury’s put forward in his campaign.
“I believe that you have made unfounded allegations regarding the Idaho judiciary that demand correction,” Jones wrote. “A candidate for judicial office certainly has the ability to put forth whatever proposals he may wish for improvement of the judicial system, but he has no right to make unfounded claims that tarnish the court system.” Jones suggested three possible days for a debate in Boise.
Bradbury told IdahoReporter.com that he will accept Jones’ offer, but hasn’t had a chance to check his calendar for when he’s available. “I’m certainly going to take him up on it and I look forward to having a debate,” Bradbury said.
Bradbury and Burdick are scheduled to debate May 4 in Boise as part of Idaho Public Television’s debates. Jones wrote that he is free to debate on May 4, 13, or 18. Jones said he would like a format in which one person would ask questions of the other, rather than have a moderator or panel ask questions. Jones, a former Idaho attorney general, is running unopposed this year for his spot on the Idaho Supreme Court.
The debate isn’t the first proposed between election hopefuls running in different races. U.S. Senate Republican candidate Claude “Skip” Davis and Democratic Senate candidate William Sullivan have agreed to a debate, though it’s uncertain if the two candidates running in different primaries will meet for a televised debate before the primary.
