Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet announced that he will not participate in two proposed debates against Republican candidate Darryl Glenn, shortly after Glenn declined to participate in another proposed debate.

Denver’s CBS4 reported Monday that Bennet would not participate in a debate sponsored by CBS4, KOA News Radio and Colorado Public Television 12.

“With Michael Bennet backing out of the CBS4 Debate, it’s clear that Michael Bennet is running scared from Darryl Glenn,” Katey Price, spokeswoman for Glenn’s campaign, said in a statement Monday evening. “He sees the polls showing a tight race and doesn’t want to defend his abysmal record.”

Bennet also declined to participate in a debate sponsored by The Gazette, KKTV and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

“We are disappointed that we, along with our media partner KKTV News, will not be able to provide voters of the Pikes Peak region a live debate in this important election,” said Dan Steever, publisher of The Gazette, Monday evening. “Our hope is that Senator Bennet will reconsider so he and his opponent, Darryl Glenn, can allow voters to see and hear first-hand their views on critical issues facing our state and country.”

“The Senator indicated that his cancellation of the CBS4 debate in Denver may have been a reaction to Mr Glenn’s cancellation of the Denver Post debate. If so, he would have an opportunity in Colorado Springs to stand and tell voters in person what he stands for.”

Bennet’s campaign spokesman Andrew Zucker released the following statement about the proposed debates: “Darryl Glenn never engaged with our campaign to have a substantive conversation about debates and has instead blacklisted Colorado news reporters and become the first Senate candidate this millennium to refuse to do the traditional Denver Post debate. At this point we are moving forward with our campaign schedule and look forward to the remaining televised debate and joint appearances that have already been scheduled.”

Bennet, who has been in office since 2009, debated Glenn, a current El Paso County Commissioner, on Sept. 10 in Grand Junction.

In early September, following articles and editorials written about Glenn’s “failure to launch” and conflicting explanations of a dropped 1983 charge for third-degree assault, The Denver Post reported that Glenn declined to participate in a Denver Post and Denver7 debate. In response, the Colorado Democratic party released a statement that “perhaps Darryl Glenn is finally realizing that his extreme policies won’t resonate with Colorado voters.”

A 9NEWS televised debate between the two candidates is scheduled for Oct. 11, and both candidates’ campaigns confirmed that they will participate.

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