D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and rival clash over future debates

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is non-committal on attending a newly announced prime time debate hosted by Fox 5 DC and Georgetown University on June 1.

• Council members Robert White and Trayon White confirmed their attendance to the event. Mayor Bowser has not yet responded to organizers of the gathering.

What they’re saying: Robert White’s campaign lit into Bowser.

• “Clearly, she does not feel confident that she can defend her record when pushed on what she has done for the city,” campaign manager Luz Martínez said in a statement.

Bowser campaign chair Bill Lightfoot responded that “the mayor receives numerous invitations for debates” and noted this one is more than 90 days out.

• “The mayor will not be lectured to by her opponents about which debates to attend,” he told Axios.

Moderators include Fox 5 DC anchors Jeannette Reyes and Tom Fitzgerald, and the executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, Mo Elleithee.

• The institute will hold the debate on the university campus, and it will air live on Fox 5 and online from 7pm-8pm.

In other campaign trail news:

🤝 Faith Gibson Hubbard, a candidate for the Ward 5 seat, yesterday received the endorsement of former at-large council member David Grosso.

Cuneyt Dil is the author of Town Talker, a regular feature on the most-talked-about stories in D.C. politics. Send tips to [email protected].