Jindal Refuses To Attend Gubernatorial Debate

Gov. Bobby Jindal won't attend a debate in the governor's race planned for next week that will include his nine opponents.

The event — sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Educators and several other education organizations — is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 12.

Asked about the debate Wednesday, the Republican governor said he didn't know about it. His spokesman, Kyle Plotkin, says the governor's office turned down the invitation because Jindal will only participate in debates that are televised statewide.

Next week's debate isn't planned for TV.

LAE officials say the nine men and women running against Jindal have agreed to participate. None of the challengers have raised enough money to mount a significant challenge to Jindal, who has a multimillion dollar campaign account.