ATLANTA (AP) — Democrat Jon Ossoff has declined to participate in an Atlanta Press Club debate with Republican Karen Handel that CNN had proposed to broadcast.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Ossoff declined Sunday to participate in what would have been a nationally televised debate.

In a statement sent to CNN, Ossoff spokeswoman Amy Messner says the campaign only committed to debates moderated by "the metro Atlanta press corps."

Georgia's 6th District contenders will participate in two televised debates this week: Tuesday on WSB-TV and Thursday on WABE-TV/PBA 30, an Atlanta-based PBS station.

In the run-up to the April 18 vote both Ossoff and Handel attended more than a dozen forums and debates but the two campaigns have struggled since then to agree on scheduling of subsequent debates.