I attended a candidate forum hosted by the Niagara Gazette, the leading newspaper in our district. My opponent didn’t show up. In fact, no Republican candidates showed up.

Think about that. A major newspaper offers candidates a chance to answer questions from voters, and they simply don’t come. Why? Because too many politicians believe they don’t have to. They think the party label is enough. They think you’ll vote for them anyway.

Democracy requires accountability. If you’re asking for people’s votes, you should be willing to answer their questions. I showed up. I answered every question. The question is: why won’t they?