By David Eggert
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and his Democratic opponent Mark Schauer have agreed to appear Oct. 12 at a televised town hall-style forum, breaking their impasse over whether to debate the issues side by side this fall.
Detroit public television station WTVS, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press announced Monday that they will co-host the one-hour event starting at 6 p.m. on the campus of Wayne State University. Oct. 12 is a Sunday.
The audience of undecided voters will be chosen by independent research companies hired by the newspapers.
Voters will ask questions along with Free Press editorial page editor Stephen Henderson and News editorial page editor Nolan Finley. WTVS anchor Christy McDonald will host the town hall that will be televised live on the PBS station and made available to all other Michigan media outlets to air or webcast live or at another time.
"Rick Snyder is committed to engaging directly with voters," Snyder campaign spokeswoman Emily Benavides said.
Schauer's debate negotiator, Dianne Byrum, said the campaign was excited about the debate and "optimistic" more would be scheduled.
The debate is separate from 10 town hall-style campaign events Snyder announced last week and that were still being planned.
"We congratulate both men for taking this step, which is so important to voters and to the democratic process," Free Press publisher and editor Paul Anger said in a statement.
"The interests of voters are better served when they can compare the candidates side by side, for themselves, rather than be at the mercy of the endless barrage of campaign advertising," News editor and publisher Jon Wolman said in a statement.
The Snyder campaign - which avoided calling the event a "debate" - said it will be free-flowing, with no opening statements and no exact time constraints on candidates' answers.
The Schauer campaign countered that it is a debate that was "carefully negotiated."
In 2010, Snyder and Democratic challenger Virg Bernero held one debate. Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican opponent Dick DeVos had three in 2006.
Organizers of the Snyder-Schauer forum encouraged viewers to participate on Twitter by using the hashtag #mitownhall.
Published: Wed, Sep 24, 2014
