Nathan Magsig is accusing his opponent in the District 5 Board of Supervisors race of ducking debates and avoiding public appearances.

In a release sent out this week, the Clovis City Councilman asks “do we need to send out a search and rescue unit for Debbie Poochigian?" after he was the lone attendee at a recent debate hosted by California State University, Fresno.

“I really don’t know what to make of it,” Magsig said of Poochigian’s absences. “When there’s only one candidate who shows up to the debate, the public is the one who loses out because you don’t get to hear from both sides.”

But Poochigian, a community activist, says Magsig is wrong about her attendance record. She responded with a list of about 15 debates that she has been to or plans to go to. She said she’s also hosted town hall meetings with residents in many foothill communities. She says she couldn’t attend the Fresno State debate because of a prior conflict.

“I’m getting to as many of them as I can, I’m working really hard,” she said. “I don’t know why he is saying this.”

Magsig says that in some instances, Poochigian has said she would be at a debate and then didn’t show up. But Poochigian says she’s attended every debate she’s agreed to be at.