Prince issues new debate challenge; Melton responds
Gary Mayor Jerome Prince and his primary challenger State Sen. Eddie Melton traded barbs this week after Prince issued Melton a debate challenge.
In a news release sent out on March 3, Prince called on Melton to commit to a public debate and criticized the senator’s track record.
Prince is currently serving the fourth year of his first time as mayor. He was elected in 2019, ousting incumbent Karen Freeman-Wilson, who had served in the office since 2012. Melton, an ally of Freeman-Wilson, received her endorsement during his 2016 run for State Senate. He will face off against Prince in the May 2 Democratic primary election.
In the news release, which avoided mentioning Melton by name, Prince characterized his challenger as dangerously naive.
“I believe my opponent has proposed some unrealistic goals and promises given the current state of the city,” Prince said in the release. “With those promises will come increased taxes such as the school referendum he supported in November 2020 and was passed, that increased our taxes over the next 8 years. Being mayor is extremely different than sitting on state legislative committees and gambling for wild-card solutions that will adversely impact local communities. Because of his lack of experience in local government I believe that my opponent will hire former city officials as advisors who were responsible for the gross mismanagement of city resources in the past and fail to lead the city forward.”
Melton fired back in his own statement, dismissing Prince’s challenge as political theater and noting that the two candidates are already scheduled to meet in public.
“Mayor Prince’s challenge for yet another debate in addition to the community-led forums we have already committed to — including a forum on April 6 hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Lakeshore Public Television at St. Timothy Church — is plain and simply a publicity stunt,” he wrote. “He’s trying to garner attention while leaving out the truth, which is that he has my phone number and could have easily contacted me to add another debate to our slate of upcoming events.”
Melton criticized Prince’s political record, pointing to what he sees as a “void in leadership.”
“Look no further than the state of the Genesis Center and dearth of planning for the disbursement of more than $80 million in ARPA funding to see what Prince and his administration stand for: neglect,” he wrote.