ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) — Republican Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley says a hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and an accuser against him is a “circus.”

Hawley at a campaign event in St. Charles told reporters he had only seen snippets of the Thursday Senate hearing. But he says Democrats have “launched an ambush on a good man.”

He accused Democrats of trying to delay the nomination process until after the mid-term election in hopes of gaining control of the Senate.

Hawley also said he has no reason to doubt the sincerity of Christine Blasey (BLAH’-zee) Ford, who alleges sexual assault when they were teens. But Hawley says the Senate should move forward if there’s no evidence. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

Hawley is running against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, who says she’ll vote against Kavanaugh.