Cornelius "Connie" Sullivan, a Republican candidate for the First Middlesex house seat, has challenged his primary Republican opponent Sheila Harrington to a series of monthly debates. He's chastized her for refusing his call for monthly debates starting now and held in each of the district's 5 communities - Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell and Townsend. Sullivan has stated that if Harrington doesn't comply, he'll start conducting his debate series without her present.

The primary is some six months away on September 14. The general election is November 2. Harrington has answered that she's not afraid to debate Sullivan, but rather that there's plenty of time to debate later in the campaign in the weeks before the election. Harrington said the voters need adequate time to learn about the candidates and the candidates need adequate time in the field gathering voter concerns to properly form their platforms.