Did Hobbs not debating have any impact on the outcome at all?

[Ogre Mage]

I would chalk up the closeness of the race to Lake's stronger campaigning skills in general.  The debate is a small part of that.  It gave Lake a line of attack that Hobbs is a coward. 

Mark Kelly did considerably better than Hobbs.  But I'm not sure I would attribute that to the fact he debated and Hobbs didn't.  Kelly was facing a very weak opponent in Blake Masters, a propped-up Peter Thiel flunky who came off as a cross between Richard B. Spencer and Patrick Bateman.  There's a reason Masters drew national ridicule.  Hobbs faced an opponent with actual skills.

I've read Hobbs is a poor debater.  Refusing to participate in the aspects of campaigning you're bad at isn't a great look.  But given her opponent worked in front of the camera for 20 years I can see why she took a pass.