Republican congressional candidate Danny Tarkanian responded to a debate proposal from Democrat Susie Lee on Thursday by instead calling for a series of 90-minute "public conversations" presided over by a non-journalist.

Tarkanian, in a letter to Lee on Thursday, said that traditional televised debates are too limiting in terms of the time they allow to address complex issues and suggested instead that he and Lee participate in a series of free-flowing public conversations in community locations across the district. His response comes five weeks after Lee first challenged Tarkanian to participate in two televised debates moderated by "qualified journalists with experience moderating general election debates in Nevada."

In his letter, Tarkanian did not put a cap on the number of public conversations in his counter-proposal to Lee, saying "the more the better," but suggested that they start right after Labor Day and continue through Election Day. Lee had initially proposed hosting the two televised debates between Oct. 1 and Oct. 19.

He also rejected Lee's suggestion to have the debate moderated by a "qualified journalist," calling it an "out-dated formula."

"The candidates in this race are you and me. By handing control of the conversation as to what issues are discussed to a member of the media, the moderator becomes a participant in our campaign rather than an observer and reporter," Tarkanian wrote.

Tarkanian said that the debate could be presided over by a "mediator," who could be a former but not current journalist. He said that current journalists will have "too much temptation .. to try to 'be' the news with the selection of their questions."

Tarkanian also suggested that the events not be held in a "sanitized TV station" but in "public forums around the district," including UNLV, community colleges, high school auditoriums and public libraries as examples.

Lee's campaign manager Brandon Cox characterized Tarkanian's response as a "rejection" of the campaign's debate proposal and said in a statement that Tarkanian objects to having a moderator because he "plays fast and loose with the facts." Cox added that Lee is "more than willing" to participate in a moderated town-hall style debate in addition to a televised debate.

Tarkanian and Lee are running to represent Nevada's swingy 3rd Congressional District, which is being vacated by Rep. Jacky Rosen as she pursues a bid for the U.S. Senate.