DES MOINES – Republican Congressman Steve King today said he would not debate Democratic challenger Matt Campbell. King, who previously claimed Campbell, “hasn’t earned” the right to debate, justified his refusal by saying, “he’s not worthy.”

“The people of the 5th District deserve an open debate between Steve King and Matt Campbell. They have earned the right to hear from both candidates in a fair and public setting and Steve King is proudly standing in the way of that,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky. “Surely a four-term Congressman like Steve King is capable of debating the issues, the only question is why he feels his constituents don’t deserve the chance to make an informed decision in this election.”

While King has repeatedly dodged debate requests, when asked again by Matt Campbell today at a town hall in Sioux City he said “no” and went on to argue that debate is not necessary to the political process, saying “I don’t know where that rule is written.” Since taking office in 2003 King has avoided a single, formal debate with his opponents.

“It’s disappointing that Steve King, who never misses an opportunity to comment on an issue, is hiding from a real debate with his opponent. The people of the 5th District deserve better, Matt Campbell will be a strong voice for hard working families across the district” added Dvorsky

Matt Campbell won the Democratic nomination after a competitive primary earlier this year and has earned the endorsement of prominent figures including U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.