State Rep. Bob Mensch, the Republican candidate in the special election to fill the vacant seat in the 24th state Senate District, has been trying to get his Democratic opponent to agree to debates for several weeks without success.

With just two weeks left until the Sept. 29 special election, Mensch issued an open invitation to Democrat Anne Scheuring to debate him pretty much any time, any place.

"Voters have a right to hear directly from the candidates in a civil and open debate on the issues," said Pete Peterson, spokesperson for the Mensch campaign. "The region and state face a number of critical challenges, including the need to create jobs, open space preservation, and the need to hold the line on any tax increases on working families. Voters deserve to know which candidate has a strong command of the issues and best represents their views."

(The fact that Scheuring's entire political experience consists of nine months on the Lansdale Borough Council may have something to do with her reluctance to face Mensch in a public forum. Scheuring was a last-minute candidate after several prominent Democrats declined to run in the special election.)

Ideally, the Mensch campaign would like to see three separate debates in various regions of the district "to offer voters the best opportunity to hear from the candidates and reduce long travel times," Peterson said.

Unfortunately, Scheuring has even refused to be a guest on local radio and television programs if Mensch will be on at the same time to discuss the issues, Peterson said.

"Rather than engage in an open and honest debate on the issues, Anne Scheuring has resorted to mudslinging and false attacks on Rep. Mensch," said Peterson. "Voters deserve better. Scheuring made the ridiculous claim that Rep. Mensch voted for the controversial pay raise, but he hadn't even been elected to office yet. He even donates his annual cost-of-living adjustment to charities that provide assistance to disabled individuals and victims of domestic violence."

(The pay raise accusation is a common false charge made by Democratic strategists who run campaigns from Harrisburg. It's been used before in the 2008 election cycle against Republican candidates who were not serving in the Legislature when the pay raise vote was taken in July 2005.)

Scheuring has rejected or refused to respond to numerous debates, forums and radio and television appearances with Mensch. The list includes forums with Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, PBS 39, WFMS Channel 69, and WNPV 1440 AM, according to Peterson.

Scheuring's refusal to debate may be related to her lack of willingness to address the false attacks she has made on Mensch, Peterson said.

The 24th Senatorial District seat opened up when former Sen. Rob Wonderling resigned in August to accept the position as CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Mensch is in his third year in the state House and previously served six years as a township supervisor in Marlborough. For more on Mensch, visit his campaign Web site.