James Martin calls out Pia Dandiya for skipping forum; Brian Mast agrees with her, says debates aren’t ‘useful’

James Martin, one of the Democrats seeking to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, is criticizing Primary opponent Pia Dandiya for skipping a candidate forum. Now, Mast says he likely won’t participate in debates with whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee.

The developments occurred after Martin and Bernard Taylor attended a Democratic Primary candidate forum hosted by Florida 180, a progressive grassroots organization, but Dandiya did not. Martin took to Facebook to chide Dandiya for her absence.

“If you can’t face voters when you’re not even elected, how do you expect to represent them?” Martin posted a 40-second video, noting that a main concern among voters with Mast is his refusal to host town halls.

This prompted Mast, who first won a seat in Congress in 2016, to make clear that he doesn’t intend to appear at any such events himself and to loop Dandiya into the public conversation. The Stuart Republican is seeking his sixth term in Congress.

“I talk to people in our community every day and have held dozens upon dozens of town halls and forums,” Mast posted on X.

“I agree with (Dandiya) that staged debates aren’t a useful part of the campaign process anymore. I’d rather talk to actual voters than perform for a moderator to boost TV ratings or social media views.”

Dandiya ended up responding to Martin’s post, addressing Mast’s commentary as well.

“I have never said debates aren’t useful. That is false — and it’s disappointing to see words put in my mouth by Brian Mast and then amplified by my Democratic opponent. What’s even more troubling is watching a fellow Democrat help spread that distortion. That’s not how we win — and it’s not what our district deserves,” she posted on Martin’s page in a lengthy comment.

She also responded on X to Mast.

“Let me be clear: I’ll debate you anytime, anywhere. And you should get ready,” she wrote. “I’m going to hold you accountable for your record and what you’ve failed to deliver for our district. Voters deserve facts and a better choice for their representative. We’re just getting started.”

But notably, she did not say on either platform that she would appear alongside Democratic opponents in forums.

That includes another upcoming Florida 180 forum scheduled for April 9. Sara Miller, an organizer with the host organization, said the last forum was rescheduled multiple times to accommodate Pandiya’s schedule, but ultimately had to move ahead without her commitment to attend.

“Our goal was to be 100% fair and transparent and have everyone attend, so voters could be educated,” Miller said. “I was disappointed for the guests that were attending. Other candidates wanted her there, and I was disappointed for them as well.”

Both Martin and Taylor have committed to attending the upcoming forum, but Florida 180 has not yet heard back from Dandiya.

In her post, Dandiya said the intraparty fighting can only distract from Democrats’ key mission: winning the Midterms.

“We have bigger things to worry about: Defeating Brian Mast and standing up to the damage being done by Donald Trump and his allies — from a reckless path toward war with Iran, to ICE agents harassing families in our communities, to ongoing attacks on voting rights, democratic institutions, and the free press,” she posted.

Dandiya currently has the most money raised among Democrats, reporting $1.16 million in total fundraising over 2025, including a $147,000 candidate loan. By comparison, Martin has raised almost $222,000, and Taylor has reported almost $24,000 in total dollars.

But Martin said voters deserve a chance to hear directly from candidates, and not have to rely on paid advertising.

“It’s disrespectful to voters when candidates don’t show up to forums and debates. These are the moments where people deserve to hear directly from those asking for their trust,” Martin said.

“Brian Mast and Pia Dandiya should both commit to showing up, answering questions and giving voters a real opportunity to decide who best represents them based on where they stand on the issues. FL-21 deserves leadership that is present, accountable and rooted in the community, not politicians who cater only to the wealthy few.”