NEC to sponsor NH Primary debate series

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GOP gubernatorial candidates Rich Ashooh, left, and Frank Guinta.
GOP gubernatorial candidates Rich Ashooh, left, and Frank Guinta.

MANCHESTER, NH – New England College is proud to announce a series of primary debates between candidates for major offices in New Hampshire, including Congress and Governor. Working with media partners WGIR radio, NECN and the Concord Monitor, the live debates will be held in the Manchester studios as part of “New Hampshire Today” with Jack Heath.

The debate series will lead off with the first-time debate between Republicans Rich Ashooh and Frank Guinta in the First District GOP Congressional Primary. The debate will be held July 20, from 8-9 a.m.

“These races are taking shape and there’s not much time before the voters must head to the polls to decide these primaries,” says Jack Heath, moderator and questioner for the series of radio debates, and host of NH Today, on iHeartRadio. “We will explore a number of issues that are important to the people of our state, including health care, the drug epidemic, the budget, jobs and veterans issues. We are honored to host these in-studio debates.”

The other debates are as follows:

  • GOP Gubernatorial Primary Debate: July 27
  • Dem Gubernatorial Primary Debate: August 10
  • GOP 2nd Dist. Cong Primary Debate: August 17

As media co-sponsor, The Concord Monitor’s Allie Morris and Jonathan VanFleet will participate in each of the four radio debates. New England Cable News will provide spot news coverage of the debate series. In addition, Dr. Wayne Lesperance, of New England College, will provide commentary for each of the debates.

“As sponsor and organizer of these primary debates, we hope to be fulfilling a critical public service by creating a process that will help inform voters going into the September primary,” explains Dr. Lesperance. “This is an historic election cycle and we know that in a presidential cycle, voter turnout is typically very high. These races are also important to the future of our state and our country, and we are thrilled to be playing a small, but critical role in the election process.”

Working closely with New England Cable News, WGIR, and The Concord Monitor as media partners, New England College intends to host a similar series of live, televised debates in October, featuring the primary winners and candidates for major office in New Hampshire this fall. Organizers are finalizing details for those upcoming debates, which will be hosted on campus at NEC in Henniker.

About New England College:

New England College emphasizes experiential learning as an essential component in the development of an enduring academic community. Building upon a strong liberal arts foundation, we challenge our students to reach their full potential through informed discourse and the pursuit of excellence in a framework of academic freedom. New England College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Inc. (NEASC) through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The Teacher Education Program (and the majors in Elementary Education, Physical Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education) is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education.

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!