PHOENIX — Arizonans won’t get to see Katie Hobbs and Andy Biggs debate each other before the November general election.

“Face-to-face engagement with Arizonans is more effective than a stage designed for short soundbites and political theater,” Nicole DeMont, the governor’s campaign manager, announced late Thursday. DeMont said that Hobbs will instead focus on traveling around the state to listen to what people want.

Some stops on what Hobbs has dubbed her Arizona First Tour, however, have been organized events with invited participants selected to share their views with the governor. That’s a markedly different format from a traditional debate, where candidates answer questions from a moderator and immediately respond to each other’s arguments.

Hobbs campaign press aide Michael Beyer said that there have been multiple events that have been open to the public.

Her campaign also listed a series of events, like meeting with restaurant owners about how tariffs are affecting local businesses, touring the Curry Seed & Chili Co. with farmer Ed Curry to discuss water security and agriculture, and celebrating National Drive-Thru Day at a Burger King where she worked in high school. That last event produced a picture of Hobbs standing outside under the sign reading “Home of the Whopper.”

She also opened campaign offices around the state for Copper State Victory, which is promoting her reelection as well as that of other Democratic candidates.

The last time Hobbs agreed to a debate was in October 2018 when, as a state senator and having never run for statewide office, she ran against Republican Steve Gaynor.

When Hobbs ran for governor, she refused to debate former Nogales Mayor Marco Lopez, her foe in the 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary. She also refused to face off against Republican Kari Lake in the general election.

Hobbs has been ahead in polls, though no surveys have been published since Biggs won the four-way GOP primary. 

“The independent and persuadable voters up for grabs in Arizona deserve to hear from statewide candidates in a traditional debate setting,” said Drew Sexton, an adviser to the Biggs campaign. 

But Biggs himself refused to participate in debates in 2022 and 2024 when running for reelection to Congress.

Sexton said Biggs will participate in an Oct. 6 debate organized by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission. It’s unclear whether anyone else will be there to debate.