John Faso and Thomas Suozzi took turns attacking Eliot Spitzer in an upstate gubernatorial debate last night, repeatedly criticizing the state attorney general for his failure to prosecute Medicaid fraud and for proposals that they said would cost taxpayers billions in new spending.

The only candidate missing from the forum at the University at Buffalo in Amherst was Mr. Spitzer, whom polls show is most likely among the three hopefuls to become governor in January.

The absence of the front-runner may become a familiar image in the weeks leading to the September 12 primary as the underdogs in all three statewide races turn to a common refrain in their long shot bids for the Democratic nomination: debate, debate, debate.

Mr. Suozzi, the Nassau county executive, has proposed debating Mr. Spitzer 10 times before the primary. Mr. Faso, the presumptive Republican nominee, has also pushed Mr. Spitzer for frequent debates and figures to step up those calls as the November general election approaches.

From Medicaid spending to education policy to the need for reform in Albany, Messrs. Faso and Suozzi agreed on the majority of issues, but they were most in accord in their assault on Mr. Spitzer’s refusal to attend the debate. Mr. Faso said Mr. Spitzer didn’t have the “nerve” to show up, while Mr. Suozzi sought to link his absence to his alliance to the entrenched establishment in Albany that Mr. Suozzi often criticizes. Polls show Mr. Spitzer leading both Mr. Faso and Mr. Suozzi by more than 45 percentage points.

Mr. Spitzer debated Mr. Suozzi last month, but he has not committed to any more debates beyond a town hall-style forum scheduled for tomorrow, in which Mr. Faso will also participate. The three candidates, however, will be in different locations. The Spitzer campaign did not return repeated calls yesterday.

The scenario that unfolded last night echoes the race for the Democratic Senate nomination, where an anti-war challenger, Jonathan Tasini, is struggling to make a dent in the polls versus Senator Clinton.In a press conference yesterday on the top step of City Hall, Mr. Tasini’s message was straightforward: “We simply want one thing,” he said. “We want a debate in this election.”

A Clinton spokesman, Howard Wolfson, repeated what he has said for several days. “We will see how the campaign develops,” he said. He would not say when a decision would be made, or what factors Mrs. Clinton would use in deciding whether to debate Mr. Tasini.

Polls show the campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general is much closer, but the debate about debates is shaping up in a similar fashion to the governor and senate races. Andrew Cuomo is leading a former public advocate, Mark Green, 48% to 35% among likely voters, with Sean Patrick Maloney and Charles King garnering less than 5% of the vote, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. The four candidates have participated in two debates, but Mr. Green and the others have committed to six more in which Mr. Cuomo has no plans to participate.

In refusing debates, Mr. Cuomo, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. Spitzer are hewing to a well-worn campaign strategy aimed at limiting the exposure of their underdog opponents. “The first rule of any political campaign is to reduce your opponent’s ability to grow,” a veteran political consultant, Hank Sheinkopf, said. “It’s your first tactical imperative.”

While political analysts say Mrs. Clinton has little to risk in her Senate race by debating Mr. Tasini, her calculation is complicated by a possible run for president in 2008, a professor of public policy at Baruch College, Douglas Muzzio, said. Given Mrs. Clinton’s prominence, an appearance with Mr. Tasini could garner nationwide attention, and a debate format could provide fodder for opponents on the left or right in 2008.

Still, Mr. Muzzio said, “my gut tells me they are going to have some sort of joint appearance.”