Politics

U.S. Senate, House candidates agree to debates

This story has been updated to include debate plans for Independent Senate candidate Margaret Stock.  

WASHINGTON — If the presidential debate left you wanting more, or something a little different, Alaska candidates for U.S. Congress are planning their own series of debates in October and November.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young have agreed to participate in four and five debates, respectively. Young's Democratic challenger Steve Lindbeck will join Young in each of those five debates. Independent Senate candidate Margaret Stock plans to participate in debates with Murkowski and other forums too. Requests regarding participation of some of their challengers, including Libertarian Senate candidate Joe Miller, went without response.

The first debate should feature the full spectrum of Senate candidates, according to the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the Senate Fisheries Debate, set for 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Gerald C. Wilson Auditorium in Kodiak. The seafood industry debate has been an Alaska fixture since 1990, and will be broadcast over Alaska Public Radio.

On Oct. 17, Young and Lindbeck will face off at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum at the downtown Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center. And the pair will be at the Alaska Forest Association and Resource Development Council Debate on Oct. 20, at the Hotel Captain Cook, also in downtown Anchorage.

Murkowski, Stock, Young and Lindbeck all plan to participate in the Alaska Federation of Natives Candidate Forum on Oct. 21at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks. Young and Lindbeck will be back again at the same location on Oct. 24, for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum.

Murkowski  and Stock will head up to Barrow on Oct. 26 for the "Senate Debate on the Arctic," hosted by the Inuit Arctic Business Alliance. The group is made up of representatives from the Arctic Slope Regional Corp., NANA Regional Corp. and the Bering Straits Native Corp.

The main televised event will be Nov. 3 — just five days before the general election. The "Debate for the State" will be hosted by Alaska Public Media in Anchorage.

Erica Martinson

Erica Martinson is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News based in Washington, D.C.

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