SAUGUS — A second debate between Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) and challenger Matt Crescenzo is up for debate in Saugus.
The two Saugus residents are vying for Wong’s seat in the 9th Essex District, which encompasses precincts 1, 2, 4-9 in Saugus; precincts 1, 2, 3 and 7 in Wakefield; and Ward 1 precincts 1 and 2 in Lynn.
“Saugus is the largest part of the district and where we are both from,” said Crescenzo. “I thought it would make sense to talk to the voters in Saugus and give them a fair chance to ask us questions and hear what we have to say about what our plans are.”
The pair previously went head to head in a debate in Wakefield last month.
A letter from Crescenzo called for a town-hall style debate to be held at the Oaklandvale Elementary School on either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of next week.
“To accommodate your schedule, we have three different dates available,” the letter, dated Oct. 11, states. It then lists the three dates. “Please let us know what date you prefer so we can proceed. Due to the constraints of the school day, the event must take place in the evening. Our proposal is 7 to 8 p.m.”
Wong previously told The Item he would agree to one additional debate in Saugus if he knew who the moderator would be and the style of the debate ahead of time.
Originally, Crescenzo said he was challenging Wong to three additional debates in Wakefield, Saugus, and Lynn.
As of Tuesday, Wong said he had not received a letter calling for a debate but had heard about the challenge. In addition, he said he was hesitant to agree because he was still unsure who was hosting it and who would moderate it.
“As of today I have not had any contact from my opponent,” said Wong. “I never had an opponent say they were going to sponsor a debate. That’s not a neutral party having the debate.”
But Crescenzo had a different interpretation of what he had proposed.
“Just like the letter said, its a simple setup,” he said. “Me and Rep. Wong would co-host the event — it would be our event. Once we have an idea of a date we can work on getting a fair and impartial moderator from a local media source. Residents will be able to come and raise their hand and (ask a question).”
Both parties said they are still up for a debate before the Nov. 6 election.
