Mike Broomhead will host Kari Lake Q&A, but he wasn't the top choice
Communication records show how the Arizona Clean Elections Commission decided on Mike Broomhead as moderator.
After way too much drama and media attention, Kari Lake will get her 30 minutes of free air time on KAZT on October 23 moderated by KTAR News’ Mike Broomhead, a staunch conservative who is not typically known for asking tough questions or follow ups.
The Arizona Clean Elections Commission, after pulling the Lake event off of Arizona PBS last week with its moderator Ted Simons, chose Broomhead but not before asking around half a dozen other local –– or former local –– journalists to ask Lake some questions about her candidacy.
In no specific order, records show the Clean Elections team wanted: Brahm Resnik of 12 News, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez of The Washington Post, former Arizona Capitol Times publisher Luige Del Puerto (who now resides in Denver), Steve Goldstein, formerly of KJZZ Phoenix, Chris Conover of Arizona Public Media, among others. Arizona’s Family Political Editor Dennis Welch’s name was also thrown out there, but the commission settled on Broomhead.
In defense of the pick, executive director Tom Collins took a shot at Ted Simons for how he moderated the conversation with Secretary of State Katie Hobbs on October 18 saying Broomhead is a fine alternative to that.
“There was nothing really special about ted’s [sic] performance,” Collins wrote to Gina Roberts, the commission’s voter education director. “The other thing is that if the press wants to criticize us on this well, this is a neutral decision. And I just don’t feel like Ted did anything that they can point to that made him significantly better.”
Roberts replied, “Agreed!!”
Well, they were definitely right about media reactions.
While it doesn’t appear Lake had any say in the decision, Collins did ask Howie Fischer, the dean of the Capitol press corps, for his advice. Fischer was on Arizona PBS’s Journalists’ round table and didn’t mince words about how the station handled the debate fiasco and its relationship with Clean Elections.
Fischer wrote as his advice, “whatever you do, let me strongly urge to have a SINGLE MODERATOR. the dual moderators situation interferes with what should be a natural back-and-forth and possibility for follow up.”
They did only choose a single moderator and the Q&A will record Saturday to air on Sunday on AZTV which is channel 7 in the Phoenix area.
Housekeeping note: Since I wrote this, I will not be publishing tomorrow morning, but will be back with more records on Monday!
Broomhead is a perfect tool--if that's your preference.