Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) should debate her Republican opponent, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). I also understand why she won’t.

Four years ago, Hobbs refused to debate Republican Kari Lake during their race for governor. She took plenty of criticism for it. Reporters repeatedly pressed her to reconsider. Hobbs argued that appearing onstage with Lake would produce a spectacle rather than a useful discussion of the issues.

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The lesson was hard to miss: refusing to debate might generate some bad headlines, but voters may not care enough to punish you for it.

But the more important issue is not Hobbs. It is the incentive her decision exposes.

Why should candidates debate if voters do not care whether they do?

Now Hobbs is running for reelection, and her campaign has announced that she will not debate Biggs. Her campaign says face-to-face interaction with Arizonans is more useful than participating in a forum built around short soundbites and political theater.

There is an awkward wrinkle.

Hobbs’s campaign has also criticized Biggs for skipping debates and forums. Yet........

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