Senate Candidate Richard Painter To Hold 8-Hour Q&A Session On Facebook Live

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – U.S. Senate candidate Richard Painter is planning to answer voters' questions all day Sunday during live broadcasts on Facebook and Twitter.

The candidate's campaign office says Painter will be taking questions on the Painter for Minnesota Facebook and Twitter accounts and between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday.

The prominent critic of President Donald Trump says he's holding the eight-hour question-and-answer session this weekend because his opponent, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, won't debate him.

In a press release, Painter's campaign office criticized Smith for having an unpopular stance on PolyMet mining and for having millions in medical device stock, making her "the most conflicted U.S. Senator on the issue of health care."

Painter is slated to face Smith in a primary next month. The GOP candidate for the November election will be state Sen. Karin Housley.

Painter, a former Bush administration ethics lawyer, says he is running as a Democrat because there is no room for moderate conservatives in the Republican Party.

Smith's office released this statement Tuesday: "Sen. Smith looks forward to debating all candidates at Farmfest and talking about issues that are important to voters, just like she has done across the state at over 100 meetings, roundtables and other events with thousands of Minnesotans in the last six months."

Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate last year after former Sen. Al Franken resigned following a string of sexual misconduct allegations.