MOUNT PLEASANT, MI (WTVB) - About 50 Tea Party groups in Michigan will be sponsoring a debate between Republican U.S. Senate candidates this afternoon, but front runner Pete Hoekstra won’t be there. The former Congressman from Holland reportedly fears it may be a set-up that favors another candidate, and has said he will skip it. Five of the 8 candidates will be at the lectern on the Central Michigan University campus in Mt. Pleasant for the political event that starts at 1PM.

Hoekstra claims because the event is linked to a straw poll to be held next month, and because the poll won’t reflect the views of all the Tea Party movement, he won’t participate. The Tea Party says this is the process they have chosen to pick their candidate.