INDIANAPOLIS — A live, televised debate among leading Republican contenders in the race for Indiana governor will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. March 27 on WISH-TV, Channel 8, in Indianapolis.
The station’s parent company, Circle City Broadcasting, announced the event will take place at the Madam Walker Legacy Center in downtown Indianapolis. Included in the debate are U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Indiana Economic Development Corp. leader Eric Doden, and former Attorney General Curtis Hill.
The candidates are seeking the GOP nomination to succeed Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. The debate will come just as voting gets underway, after absentee ballots are mailed to qualified voters.
In a statement, the station said without elaborating that it “extended invitations to each Republican candidate for governor who met a list of qualifications, including ballot signatures and fundraising totals,” and that all candidates who received an invitation accepted. Excluded from the event is Republican candidate Jamie Reitenour of Indianapolis.
The station said it is accepting questions for the candidates from the public. Questions may be emailed to [email protected].
Phil Sanchez, WISH-TV’s lead political anchor, and April Simpson, the station’s news co-anchor, will serve as debate moderators. Garrett Bergquist, the station’s government and politics reporter, will also contribute to the debate, the station said.
Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick is unopposed in the Democratic primary after the Indiana Election Commission on Tuesday ruled that Democratic candidate Tamie Dixon-Tatum of Anderson will be stricken from the ballot because she did not collect the required number of signatures.
The primary will take place Tuesday, May 7.
