The only televised debate in the U.S. Senate race was on June 21 at the N.C. State Bar Association convention in Atlantic Beach. The debate was aired by UNC-TV and by Carolina News 14. Since then, several televised debates have been proposed by the likes of UNC-TV, the N.C. Association of Broadcasters and various local TV stations.

Officials with Hagan's campaign said they agreed to those debates. But event organizers said Dole never committed as scheduling deadlines passed.

Hagan has not made a major issue of Dole's reluctance to debate. When asked about it last week, Hagan said, "I'm definitely ready and willing."

Dole could not be reached for comment.

Dan McLagan, a spokesman for Dole, denied that the campaign has been dodging debates.

"It's not so," McLagan said. "We have been debating. We are open to further debates. No one has gotten back to us that Hagan has agreed to a specific debate."

But debate organizers say the Dole campaign has quashed debates at every turn:

* Hagan agreed to a debate on WRAL on Oct. 14, but Dole would not commit, according to a WRAL spokeswoman.

* Hagan agreed to an Oct. 1 debate on UNC-TV, but Dole would not commit, according to UNC-TV. Hagan agreed to a League of Women Voters debate on either Sept. 18 or Sept. 28, but Dole did not agree, according to the league.

* Hagan agreed to a debate sponsored by the N.C. Association of Broadcasters in July, but Dole did not agree, according to the group.

* Hagan agreed to a debate on NBC-17 in Raleigh during the first week of October, but Dole did not agree, according to the station.

* Dole agreed to a televised debate in Wilmington on Oct. 24 that is being organized by Curtis Wright, a conservative talk show host. Hagan declined that debate, saying it was only to be televised in the Wilmington area.