Debate Lineup for Florida Governor, U.S. Senate Announced by Statewide Partnership

Leadership Florida, Florida Press Association and Florida Public Broadcasting team to produce Decision 2006: Before You Vote.

Tallahassee, FL (PRWEB) June 21, 2006 -- The unprecedented statewide partnership producing this election year’s most significant series of political debates in the races for Governor and U.S. Senate today revealed final details for the project that voters will come to know as “Decision 2006: Before You Vote,” including a high-profile pre-general election debate in the governor’s race moderated by renowned public broadcaster Ray Suarez. To learn more, visit www.beforeyouvote.org.

The partnership of Leadership Florida, the Florida Press Association and the Florida Public Broadcasting Service announced that in advance of the Sept. 5, 2006 primary election, the partnership will produce separate one-hour live debates featuring the Republican and Democratic candidates for Governor. Both of these debates will be broadcast LIVE from the studios of public television station WEDU in Tampa, with a diverse panel of veteran journalists from Florida newspapers and public broadcasting stations asking the questions of the candidates.

The gubernatorial nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties will meet Oct. 24 in a final live, televised debate in the race for governor – to be moderated by Ray Suarez, a senior correspondent at public television’s “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.” That climactic debate will also occur at 8 p.m., from the NSU campus in Fort Lauderdale. Statewide underwriters for the commercial-free project include the Florida League of Cities, AARP, Florida Power & Light, Akerman Senterfitt, and Nova Southeastern University.

“The debates of Decision 2006: Before You Vote will help millions of Florida voters learn more about the candidates and issues in these two important races,” said Ron Sachs, chairman of Leadership Florida, the organizing force behind the project. “These debates will be lively, spirited, and most importantly, balanced and substantive.”

All of the debates will first be broadcast live on public television stations throughout Florida, with a public radio simulcast and Webcast, and will provide for comprehensive coverage by the daily news media. The partners said that all of Florida’s commercial broadcasters and cable outlets will be granted complete rights to re-broadcast all of the debate programs – to further educate an expanded audience of voters. The live Webcast and subsequent presence on a Web site is being coordinated by Prof. David Carlson, director of the Interactive Media Laboratory at the University of Florida.

Gil Thelen, publisher of The Tampa Tribune and chairman of the Florida Press Association’s debate committee, said the partnership promises to deliver Florida voters dynamic, fair and rigorous forums for the major candidates to present themselves and their policy positions.

“These debates will let the sun shine on those Sunshine State leaders who seek to lead Florida forward in the years to come,” said Thelen. “Florida’s newspapers are proud to be partnered in this important effort to improve voter awareness and to raise the level of Florida’s political debate.”

Indeed, Florida newspapers will devote substantial space to covering the races involved and, through the Florida Press Association, also will promote viewership of the live statewide debate series through the donation of prominent advertising space.

Sandy Cesaretti Ray, chairman of Florida Public Broadcasting Service, and also general manager of WSRE-TV, licensed to Pensacola Junior College, said the debate formats will provide candidates full opportunity to address critical issues.

“In the primary debates, our panel of veteran Florida public broadcast and print journalists will quiz candidates on the issues most pressing to Floridians,” said Cesaretti Ray. “And in the final debate, we are thrilled to have Ray Suarez as moderator, whose experience as former host of NPR’s ‘Talk of the Nation’ and current contributor to ‘The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer’ will give each candidate a great forum in which to present themselves and their ideas.”

Ray Ferrero Jr., president of Nova Southeastern University, said that NSU was “honored” to host the general election debates for Governor and U.S. Senate on the NSU campus.

“As a partner in this project, we are pleased to share a key role in helping millions of Florida voters to decide who best should lead our state in two of the most important jobs in the country,” Ferrero said.

Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale is Florida’s largest independent university and the nation’s seventh-largest. With more than 27,000 students, NSU offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs in such varied fields as law, medicine, business, computer science and more.

The partnership in the “Decision 2006: Before you Vote” project demonstrates its deep reach, significance, balance and non-partisanship.

Leadership Florida has developed a reputation for nearly 25 years as a builder of a stronger, diverse statewide sense of community. A respected non-partisan convener, LF has taken the lead in training and developing leaders with a statewide, rather than parochial, view of our state’s needs. The Florida Press Association is a nonprofit corporation designed to protect the freedoms and advance the professional standards of the press in Florida, with a membership that includes most of Florida’s daily and weekly newspapers. Florida Public Broadcasting is a statewide group of 25 non-profit television and radio stations, reaching more than 99 percent of Florida’s population.

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