— Democratic voters will have to cast ballots in the 2nd Congressional District runoff without a chance to see the candidates square off in a planned televised debate.

Walking away from an invitation to formally debate the issues, Muskogee businessman Wayne Herriman said, “It’s a little late in the campaign cycle” to have a debate.

Herriman and Rob Wallace were invited by Rogers State University’s public television station to take part in a televised debate. Dan Schiedel, the station’s general manager, said the debate would be televised live and posted online.

Wallace, a former state and federal prosecutor from Fort Gibson, welcomed the opportunity and challenged Herriman to attend. Herriman declined the offer, saying his attendance at several small gatherings throughout the district before the primary election should be sufficient for voters to make a decision.

Wallace criticized Herriman for dodging two debates scheduled before the June 26 Democratic primary. Upon learning of Herriman’s decision to decline Schiedel’s invitation, Wallace was stunned.

“His silence on both my invitation and the Rogers State University Television invitation to debate continues to follow his pattern of behavior,” Wallace said. “He would rather hide behind false, negative attack ads than discuss the issues in front of the voters.”

Herriman, who earned almost 42 percent of the nearly 69,000 ballots cast in the Democratic primary compared with Wallace’s 46 percent, said he would attend the debate only if Wallace responded to questions about his character.

“We have been to 13 events with Rob and have discussed the issues. I don’t see any point in it,” Herriman said about the formal debate. “At this point, my people have told me that until he answers the questions we have asked (about his business interests), there is no point in debating the issues.”

Those questions, Herriman said, involve Wallace’s involvement in the mid-1990s with a mining company that went belly-up after it was cited in Arkansas for environmental violations. Herriman, who said “character has as much as anything” to do with a candidate’s qualifications, raised the questions in attack ads launched the week before the primary election.

Wallace said his ownership interest in the company was granted in return for his legal help setting up the company and patenting equipment. Wallace has said he had no involvement with the company’s day-to-day operations.

Wallace said “voters deserve better” from their candidates than what his opponent is giving them. Wallace said 2nd District voters deserve a chance to “hear where the candidates stand on the issues.”

Kyle Gott, Wallace’s campaign manager, said it is unfortunate Herriman has chosen to remain silent.

“I don't know if he’s scared to defend his record on lying about Rob, scared to defend his own business record, or just too scared to discuss the issues,” Gott said. “Either way, it is clear he’s certainly trying to hide from something.”

Gott said Herriman’s decision to “cater to his consultants rather than his constituents” is typical of a Washington politician.

Schiedel said the Republican candidates seeking that party’s nomination for the U.S. Rep. Dan Boren’s post, have accepted an invitation for a debate scheduled July 16. Only Wallace, Schiedel said, accepted the invitation to an Aug. 16 debate between the Democratic candidates.

Schiedel said Herriman has until noon Monday to decide whether he wants to take part in the debate. If he fails to accept the invitation, Schiedel said the debate will be scrubbed.

Reach D.E. Smoot at (918) 684-2901 or dsmoot

@muskogeephoenix.com.