17th District debate to take place on Oct. 4; 15th District to debate Oct. 11.
Bethlehem, Pa. — Sept. 21, 2016 — Plans are set for back-to-back debates in the Lehigh Valley’s 17th and 15th congressional districts next month at the PPL Public Media Center at PBS39 in Bethlehem.
Democrat Matt Cartwright and Republican Matt Connolly, running in the 17th District, will face each other on Tues., Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., before a live audience in a program to be televised on PBS39.
Democrat Rick Daugherty, Republican Charlie Dent, and Libertarian Paul Rizzo, running in the 15th District, will face off at 7 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 11.
The Morning Call, PBS39, Muhlenberg College and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce are partners for both debates.
Laura McHugh, PBS39 Executive Producer, Local Programming, will moderate. Panelists are Laura Olson, The Morning Call’s Washington correspondent, and Christopher P. Borick, a political scientist and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.
The candidates also will be questioned by Danielle Bodnar, government affairs administrator at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and by politically active Muhlenberg College students.
The event is open and free to the public via wlvt.org/events. Doors close at 6:30 p.m. each day.
“This is a rare and important opportunity to hear directly from the candidates in one place and at one time,” said Robert York, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of The Morning Call. “Forums like this can help voters crystallize their decision-making process.”
The debate will be aired live on PBS39, and will be rebroadcast on the Pennsylvania Cable Network and made available to other media.
“PBS39 looks forward to bringing the candidates’ views in this important race to our viewers,” McHugh said. “We see sharing information to inform voters as an important part of our mission, and we look forward to working with all of our partners to do that.”
Democrat Cartwright, who lives in Moosic, Lackawanna County, is the incumbent in the 17th District, which includes Easton and parts of northern Northampton County. Republican Connolly lives in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
Republican Dent, of Allentown, is the incumbent lawmaker in the 15th District, which covers the rest of Northampton and Lehigh counties. Democrat Daugherty lives in Lowhill Township. Libertarian Rizzo lives in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
About PBS39
PBS39 is a community-owned public television station licensed to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, PA, serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. PBS39 is owned and operated by the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. The mission of PBS39 is to educate, inspire, inform, and entertain, while stimulating the exchange of ideas for community enrichment. For more information, please visit wlvt.org.
About The Morning Call
The Morning Call is the region’s leading newspaper, and themorningcall.com is the Lehigh Valley’s first source for local news, sports, entertainment, business, politics and more.
About Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College, founded in 1848, is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Allentown.
About The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, with nearly 5,000 members, is the largest chamber in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is in the country’s top 10.
Press Release Provided By:
Laura McHugh
Executive Producer, Local Programming
