SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Voters of New York State Senate District 51 could vote without seeing a candidate debate. 

While Democratic challenger Michele Frazier says she is willing to participate, campaign staff for Republican incumbent Sen. Peter Oberacker says they will consider scheduling a debate only if Frazier’s campaign becomes “viable.”

According to the Frazier campaign, the two candidates were scheduled to pre-record a debate, hosted by Bold Gold Media with attendance by Catskill News and Mid-Hudson News at the Liberty Theatre, on September 18. The debate did not take place.

A press release from Frazier’s campaign on September 16 announced that “her opponent Peter Oberacker has backed out of their scheduled debate for September 18th.”

A communications representative for Oberacker, Dan Kierberm, told the River Reporter that the senator did not pull out of the debate and that “there was nothing ever on the senator’s calendar.” Kierberm said the claim that the senator had pulled out is a “desperate attempt from someone trying to get attention.”

Oberacker debated both previous Democratic challengers, Jim Barber (2020) and Eric Ball (2022). 

According to Oberacker’s campaign manager, “recent internal polling” of Frazier’s campaign showed low viability. The campaign used the same internal polling as the DNC uses to qualify candidate participation for presidential debates, the manager said.

Frazier’s campaign manager said that the campaign has been “very successful in raising funds,” and added, “It’s the voters who decide whether a candidate is viable—not an opponent. Further, saying Michele’s campaign isn’t viable is offensive to [Oberacker’s] constituents who are members of the following organizations that have endorsed her candidacy,” and listed a slew of organizations including the “New York Working Families Party; New York State Public Employees Federation; United Auto Workers Region 9; Planned Parenthood; Sullivan County Democratic Party; Ulster, Delaware, Chenango, and Otsego County Democratic Committees; and New York State Federation of Democratic Women.” 

On the day of the scheduled debate, Oberacker’s campaign manager said he was out representing the people of his district. “At this time, why would he stop what he’s doing to up her name ID?” 

Oberacker has been the state senator for the 51st district since 2021. A Republican has represented the district since 2012. 

New York State Senate District 51 is in Central New York and the Hudson Valley, covering parts of nine counties including Sullivan County. Sullivan County was moved from District 42 to District 51 as a result of the 2022 redistricting.