EAGLE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
During Nov. 14’s Eagle City Council meeting, several Eagle residents requested a debate between Mayor Jason Pierce and City Councilmember Brad Pike.
A runoff election on Dec. 5 will decide whether Pierce or Pike is Eagle’s next mayor.
Pike’s apparent disinterest in debating Pierce has frustrated voters, who say “misinformation and outright lies on social media” have made it difficult to know what each candidate really wants for the community.
“There has been so much misinformation and outright lies on social media sites like Nextdoor and Facebook, that Eagle residents may not be able to separate fact from fiction,” resident Manuela Walter said during the Nov. 14 meeting. “Unfortunately, there are people who propagate this misinformation and lies. This can be very confusing for voters. I’m speaking today to stress the absolute need for a moderated, recorded debate between Mayor Pierce and Councilmember Pike.”
Pierce, who was elected as Eagle mayor in 2019, was the top vote-getter during the Nov. 7 election, garnering 35.5% of the 10,086 votes.
Pike was second with 31.4%. Since none of the candidates in the four-way race received more than 50% of the votes, the top two vote-getters — Pierce and Pike — will go back on the ballot in a runoff election.
In the weeks following Election Day, several Eagle residents confronted Pike and Pierce, noting a need for a debate between the two candidates before the runoff election.
Pierce has agreed, but Pike thus far has dismissed the requests.
“Mayor Pierce has stated his desire to debate councilmember Pike,” Walter said. “But as of this meeting, councilmember Pike has not agreed to a debate. ... Councilmember Pike, I respectfully request that you commit on the record to participating in a moderated recorded debate with Mayor Pierce prior to the Dec. 5 election.”
Debates before runoff elections are not unheard of, even in Eagle. In 2007, Eagle held a debate before a runoff mayoral election between Saundra McDavid and Phil Bandy. According to newly elected councilmember Mary May, the debate was held at the Nazarene church and was moderated by an “unbiased, neutral party.”
“The value added, I think, is relevant when you look at the voter turnout. It was 36% for the election, and it went up to 44%,” May said, referring to the 2007 runoff election at the Nov. 14 meeting. “So, it was very well-received by the community. A lot of good information got out there. And I think with a three-week planning horizon, I would just respectfully ask that maybe the two of you look at your schedules and see if that’s something that you would agree to do.”
But as of Nov. 22, Pike has not responded to the requests for a formal debate. Pike did not respond to the Idaho Press’s requests for comment for this story.
“It doesn’t look like he wants to have a debate,” Pierce said in an interview with the Idaho Press. “It’s important to get in front of the people and be able to say directly to them what is important for the future the community, so I think it’s kind of sad that he’s not wanting to do that.”
The two have not spoken about having a debate outside of council meetings, Pierce said, and its unclear why Pike won’t respond to the debate requests.
“He (Pike) doesn’t know the issues,” Pierce said. “He doesn’t know what’s happening in the city.”
As he’s been running for mayor, Pierce said he wants to give people as much information as possible so voters can make the best choice.
“I’ve always said, ‘Eagle’s going to change,’ but the thing is, you need to stick to the character of what we created over the last 30 years and make sure that continues to expand as time goes on,” Pierce said.
A mayoral debate is an opportunity to give Eagle residents transparency and information about the two candidates, resident Kayli Doyon said during the meeting — transparency on things like the Eagle Senior Center, which was owned by a nonprofit since 2006. But in February, city councilmembers voted to terminate the city’s lease with the senior center. The center, according to Pierce, was only closed for one day, but rumors continue to persist that the center is currently closed.
“We’ve had the senior center open, providing more services to more people than we ever had before when it was run by the nonprofit,” Pierce said. “When we changed it from being run by the nonprofit to being run by the city, nothing changed except for who was making the decisions day to day.”
The debate could also motivate people to fill out their ballots, Doyon said.
“We typically do see a smaller turnout of voters than we do at a general election,” Doyon said. “It’s also a chance for each of you to show us that if elected you will be accessible to your constituents and that you will do so in the most honest and straightforward ways.”
In the conclusion of her comments, Doyon asked if Pike and Pierce would commit to participating in a debate. Pierce said yes, and Pike didn’t respond.
“I feel like it is much needed for both parties to talk on topics that are all over social media as it’s been kind of talked about. It gives a chance for both parties to talk on this topic and not a bunch of hearsay,” resident Andrea Estes said during the meeting. “We need to hear that. We need to see our leaders united and together and talking on these hard topics. We need to discuss this and hear from people that want to be in leadership.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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