Are political debates really necessary? Whatever you think, they’re disappearing from the political landscape
By: Roland Beres
Posted 10:18 AM, Oct 05, 2026
BOISE, Idaho — This year, 36 governors' races are on the ballot, and according to ABC News, 21 of them are expected to be decided without a single debate.
In Senate contests, the numbers are nearly identical. Political debates have been a staple of American democracy for generations. And those who’ve studied the events say we’re missing out when they don’t happen.
“I think that debates provide an interesting opportunity to see candidates in an unscripted form," Boise State University political science professor Jacklyn Kettler said.
Kettler says voters often value a candidate's ability to think on their feet and defend their positions in real time.
But in states like Idaho that are ruby red, Kettler says debates are increasingly rare.
Take the case of Independent challenger Todd Achilles, who recently addressed incumbent U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R - Idaho) at a public event.
“I tried to have a quick conversation with Risch before the event to ask him why he won’t debate me, and Sen. Risch refused to answer the question and just walked away,” Achilles said.
Risch's office called Achille's interaction with the Senator on Sept. 11 a disrespectful online stunt.
But when asked if Risch thought he owed it to the voters to take part in debates, the campaign said Risch's conservative voting record speaks for itself.
And when the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce invited him to attend a debate at the end of September, Risch was a no-show.
Achilles argues elected officials should be willing to publicly defend their records.
“Risch needs to be held accountable," Achilles said. "We’re sending more troops to the Persian Gulf, and diesel is at record prices, and he wants to avoid any responsibility, and he’s chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”
Kettler says it’s no surprise that candidates in supermajority states like Idaho are more concerned with victory than debating the issues.
If candidates can win without doing a debate, it be not be a surprise they wouldn't do them, but some wonder if that's a reflection of a change in the heritage or culture.
“That’s a great question for incumbents," Kettler says. "We can see that there is little reward from debating and a high risk.”
In the age of the internet, voters who seek out details about a candidate can find lots of information through websites, podcasts and social media. With all that information at voters' fingertips, and with the tendency of debates to devolve into shouting matches, do we really need debates anymore?
Kettler says the trend of partisan bickering can be a turnoff, but she says you only have to look at former President Joe Biden to see the potential importance of a debate.
”In 2024, President Biden had a really bad debate, and he did not end up being the Democratic nominee," Kettler said.
Many political observers point to Biden's debate performance as a turning point that ultimately led Democrats to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
Would things have been different if Biden had refused to debate? We’ll never know.
But supporters of political debates say that's exactly the point.
A debate can reveal things voters might never see in a campaign ad, social media post, or carefully scripted speech. As fewer candidates agree to participate, some wonder whether voters are losing one of their few chances to judge candidates side by side.
