Hudak wants 3 debates with Tierney

LYNN – Congressional candidate Bill Hudak, winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary election, says he looks forward to public debates with incumbent U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, a Salem Democrat.Hudak, an Oxford lawyer, said his campaign office has proposed separate debates focusing on jobs and the economy, health care and national security.Prior to the Republican primary, Tierney challenged the winner to a public debate, marking the first formal sparring invitation for the general election in November.Tierney, who represents the 6th Congressional District, sent invitations to both Hudak and Robert McCarthy of Saugus, the other Republican candidate. Tierney spokesman Kathryn Pearl emphasized the importance of allowing voters to hear directly from the candidates, as did the Hudak camp.”These issues are so important that they can’t be handled piecemeal and deserve special attention,” Hudak said following his primary win. “I also believe it’s essential that hard-working voters be given a choice of venue and format so they are able to view these debates in a manner conducive and convenient to them, including a Town Hall meeting, on stage, on radio and on television, as voters have varying schedules and we should accommodate their needs and preferences.”Hudak, who captured more than 70 percent of the Republican primary votes, said he wants “to restore balance to a Congress that is out of step with the needs of its citizens.”The candidate added, “The issues facing our nation and this district are enormous and as candidates for Congress we are obligated to present our positions and solutions to the voters.”According to Hudak, Tierney will be asked to explain his position on health care insurance, the nation’s economic stimulus bill, budget deficits, the increase in national debt, funding for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the country’s relationship with Israel.