Both sides of the political divide are wondering why neither the moderators nor the candidates themselves have talked about Supreme Court picks during Democrats’ presidential debates, saying the issue is too important to be left on the sidelines.

From suggesting names of potential picks — something President Trump did in 2016, to great political success — to discussing proposals to pack the Supreme Court with new justices to give Democrats a chance to swing the balance, there are major questions to address.

Yet through four nights of debate, the topic has been mostly absent.

“Democratic voters — and all Americans — deserve to know which candidates are prepared to meet this challenge and how they will do so. We cannot afford another debate where this critical issue is ignored,” a coalition of liberal advocacy groups wrote in a letter this week to CNN, urging the network to use its two nights of debates to probe the issue.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said the candidates should raise the issue themselves, making the Supreme Court a “front and center issue in 2020.”

“I am disappointed that a number of topics were not discussed — among them the relentless Republican effort to pack the court with far right extremist judges, who will shape the course of law in our nation for decades to come,” Mr. Blumenthal said.

Sen. John Kennedy, a member of the Judiciary Committee, wants the candidates to address the subject during the next debate, hosted by ABC Sept. 12 and 13.

“I’d like to see them talk straight up to the American people about the proposals of some to pack the courts. In my America judges are not politicians in robes, but apparently some of my Democratic friends think they should be,” the Louisiana Republican told The Washington Times.

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg did briefly reference his proposal to change the high court from nine justices to 15, when asked about gun control.

“When I propose the actual structural democratic reforms that might make a difference, end the Electoral College, amend the Constitution, if necessary, to clear up Citizens United, have D.C. actually be a state, and depoliticize the Supreme Court with structural reform, people look at me funny, as if this country were incapable of structural reform,” he said on Tuesday.

Mike Davis, president of The Article III Project, which backs Mr. Trump’s judicial nominees, wrote a letter to CNN this week saying it made a “glaring omission” by not tackling the courts.

“It is disappointing but not surprising that neither the CNN moderators, nor Vice President Biden or any of the U.S. senators, especially those on the Senate Judiciary Committee, had any desire to discuss the federal judiciary — including some Democrats’ unconstitutional and otherwise radical assault on judicial independence, including court packing,” Mr. Davis said.

Marge Baker, executive vice president of the progressive People for the American Way, told The Washington Times the American public should be educated on how a variety of topics — from climate change to healthcare — are shaped by the type of judges sitting on the federal bench.

“No matter what issue you are talking, the courts are relevant to that,” she said.

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