Hoosier voters can pose questions to Indiana’s three gubernatorial candidates for a planned debate later this month.
The Indiana Debate Commission, the first independent debate commission of its kind in the U.S., is now accepting questions from Hoosier voters who want to pose questions to the candidates for the upcoming debate. It will be broadcast from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 24, according to an IDC news release.
The governor’s race is a three-way contest this year between Republican Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick, and Libertarian Donald G. Rainwater II. All three candidates have agreed to participate in the debate which will be moderated by Commission member Laura Merrifield Wilson, a political science professor at University of Indianapolis and host of “Positively Politics,” a radio show on WICR 88.7, the news release says.
In keeping with its mission of “Putting Voters First,” the commission is inviting voters to submit questions online at indianadebatecommission.com using the “Ask Your Question” link at the top of the homepage.
Questions will be vetted by members of the commission and accepted for full consideration through Oct.11. Hoosiers whose questions are selected also may be offered the opportunity to ask their questions on pre-taped video during the hour-long debate. Consistent with past practice, candidates do not receive the questions in advance from the commission, according to the news release
“We look forward to giving citizens this platform to voice their concerns,” said Elizabeth Bennion, commission president, in the news release. “We have already been getting daily questions from voters and we welcome more as the debate offers an outstanding opportunity for Hoosier voters to hear candidates address the issues that matter most to them as Indiana residents and voters.”
The Oct. 24 debate will be broadcast from WFYI-TV in Indianapolis and will also be live-streamed on the commission’s website and YouTube channel. Hoosiers can also check with their local news organizations to find out other ways to watch or listen. The IDC makes the feed available to all news outlets for broadcast over-the-air and online, according to the news release.
Since its founding in 2007, the Indiana Debate Commission has produced 24 statewide debates in U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections. The commission, a nonprofit organization which hosted its first debates in 2008, is the only independent organization in the state that provides free broadcast satellite feeds and web streams to all news media, the news release said.
The IDC debate will be the third and final debate before the Nov. 5 general election.
The first debate will be broadcast at 7 p.m. Wednesday on WXIN-TV/WTTV-TV (FOX59/CBS4). The next day, candidates will debate at 6 p.m. on WISH-TV Channel 8. However, Rainwater is not included in these debates.
