FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 23, 2015

COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES ANNOUNCES SITES AND DATES FOR 2016 GENERAL ELECTION DEBATES

The nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) today announced sites and dates for three presidential and one vice presidential debates during the 2016 general election.  The dates and sites are:
 
First presidential debate:
Monday, September 26, 2016
Wright State University, Dayton, OH 
 
Vice presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Longwood University, Farmville, VA                                      
 
Second presidential debate:
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO     
 
Third presidential debate:     
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV                   
 
Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY will serve as the backup site.
 
CPD Co-Chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Mike McCurry stated, "We appreciate the many applications we received and are delighted with the sites we have selected.  We look forward to working with these fine universities and their students and communities to bring these important civic events to the nation." An additional campus, Dominican University of California, will lead an initiative to use technology and social media to engage young voters in a discussion of major issues in the 2016 debates (#DUdebate16).
 
The CPD will announce in the near future additional details about the 2016 debates, including debate format and candidate selection criteria. Moderators will be announced in 2016.
 
More information can be found at www.debates.org or @debates

Wright State University chosen to host first presidential debate of 2016

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced today that Wright State University has been selected to host the first debate in fall 2016 prior to the November general election.

The debate will be held Sept. 26, 2016, at the Wright State University Nutter Center.

“I could not be any prouder of our university and the fact that the Commission on Presidential Debates has entrusted Wright State to host such an important event,” said Wright State University President David R. Hopkins. “The Commission had the daunting challenge of selecting just a few institutions and the fact that Wright State was selected is very gratifying and humbling. I am confident that our university will excel in supporting the Commission and represent our students, faculty and staff, community, and the State of Ohio in a way that will make us all proud. This is a huge win for all of us.”

The CPD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation and has sponsored all general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988. To learn more about the CPD visit debates.org.

Visit the Wright State University Debate 2016 website — wright.edu/event/debate — to learn more about the event.

To learn more about Wright State, visit the Wright State University Newsroom and wright.edu.


Longwood University Selected To Host Vice-Presidential Debate in 2016


Farmville, Va.—The eyes of the nation will turn to Longwood on October 4, 2016 when the historic Virginia university hosts the lone vice-presidential debate of the general election.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Longwood’s selection on Wednesday, along with three other sites that will host presidential debates. The vice-presidential debate will take place in Willett Hall on Longwood’s central campus.

“I believe that no campus in America could be more fitting for this remarkable and great responsibility in our democratic process,” said President W. Taylor Reveley IV in a message to the Longwood community. “The energy of this event will run through and invigorate everything we do in preparing the next generation of citizen-leaders for the historic years ahead, which the 2016 election will do so much to shape. This is a proud juncture for our great university.”

Additional information about Longwood and the debate is available at debate.longwood.edu.

Recent colleges and universities to host vice-presidential debates include Centre College, Washington University in St. Louis, Case Western Reserve University and Georgia Tech.

The 2012 vice-presidential debate at Centre College in Danville, Ky. attracted 51.4 million viewers nationally and countless more around the world. Typically, several thousand journalists travel to the debate site to cover the presidential and vice-presidential debates.

“For Longwood students, the chance to experience a debate on campus will be a part of their college experience they will never forget,” said Joan Neff, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The debate itself will be the culmination of a series of events and activities—on-campus and beyond, and tied closely to our mission of cultivating citizen-leadership—that will engage our students, faculty, staff and alumni over the course of the coming year.”

In preparation to host this debate, Longwood received strong support from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the entire Virginia Congressional delegation, and the town leadership of Farmville, one of America’s oldest two-college communities (Hampden-Sydney College is nearby).

“Longwood’s selection for the 2016 vice-presidential debate is a genuine game-changer for Farmville and the heart of Virginia,” said Farmville Mayor David Whitus, a 1983 Longwood graduate. “It’s a yearlong opportunity to showcase our community and turn a spotlight on our unique, powerful history and vibrant downtown that serves as a true regional hub. We have much to offer and welcome the chance to shine.”

The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored and produced every presidential and vice-presidential debate since 1988. Information about the 2016 debates and site selection process can be found at www.debates.org.

Founded in 1839, Longwood is among the nation’s hundred-oldest institutions of higher learning, and the third-oldest public institution in Virginia, behind William & Mary and the University of Virginia. With an enrollment of approximately 5,100 students, its distinctive mission is to prepare students for a life of citizen-leadership.

Longwood’s campus stands at a remarkable historical crossroads, playing at one end a key role in the conclusion of the Civil War and at the other in the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant first proposed surrender terms to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee steps away from the north end of campus, while a historic student strike in 1951 over conditions at the all-black R.R. Moton High School at the south end of campus culminated in a lawsuit that became part of the historic Brown vs. Board of Education decision.

“There is a common theme to our history: we are a place where leadership has been forged in reconciliation,” Reveley said. “I believe that such a message resonates especially powerfully with the country today. And of course it is also fitting that the third-oldest public university in Virginia should host a debate in 2016—the ‘Mother of Presidents’ is certain to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the coming election.”

Washington University to host presidential debate Oct. 9, 2016​

Commission on Presidential Debates selects university for an unprecedented sixth time

As the eyes of the world turn to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Washington University in St. Louis will play a prominent role in the national political conversation when it hosts a presidential debate on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. The schedule of four debates — three presidential and one vice presidential — was announced today by Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairmen of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). 

“We are honored to once again be selected as host of a presidential debate,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. “The Commission on Presidential Debates’ selection of Washington University is a reflection not only on our dynamic and engaged university community, but also on the importance of the St. Louis region, particularly at this moment in time.

“We know that having a presidential debate on our campus will be a memorable experience for our students and other members of the university community as they become involved in the planning and educational programming around this national event,” Wrighton said.

“It will also be a great opportunity to highlight the St. Louis region, as people around the globe are watching the nation’s electoral process in action.”

“Washington University in St Louis is most generous to, once again, host a debate,” said Janet Brown, executive director of the CPD. 

With today’s announcement, Washington University has earned the distinction of hosting more debates than any other institution in history. This is the sixth time the university has been selected by the CPD to host a debate since 1992, and it will be the fifth debate to be held at the university. The presidential debate scheduled at the university in 1996 was canceled just two weeks prior.

The 2016 debate will be held in Washington University’s Athletics Complex, the same venue as its previous debates. The university will also make available to the CPD the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center, a 60,000-square-foot addition to the Athletics Complex that is set to open in August 2016. 

All tickets to attend the debate will be assigned by the CPD. As was done in the previous debates at Washington University, any debate tickets that may be assigned to Washington University will be distributed only to full-time students, who will be selected in a university-wide lottery, Wrighton said. 

Students also will have the opportunity to volunteer to become involved with the debate as well as take part in the political conversations that surround such an event. 

A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in 1987, the CPD is responsible for selecting the venues and producing the presidential debates. Washington University was among 16 sites that submitted applications to host a 2016 general election debate.

For more information about debate site selection or debate formats, visit the CPD’s website, debates.org. ​


UNLV to Host 2016 Presidential Debate

Candidates to meet in Las Vegas at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center for Final Debate in Fall 2016.

UNLV and Las Vegas will take center stage as one of four host sites for a debate during the 2016 election season. The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that Las Vegas will host the presidential candidates on October 19, 2016. The debate will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV Campus.

“UNLV is honored to be a host venue for a presidential debate, as we believe it will bring a unique energy to one of the most diverse campuses in the country,” said UNLV President Len Jessup.  “A core mission of a university is to educate future leaders and hosting a presidential debate will allow students to experience the political process first-hand and better understand how public policy impacts their lives.”

Jessup and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) President/CEO Rossi Ralenkotter are co-chairs of the Las Vegas 2016 Presidential Debate Committee.

“We are excited that Las Vegas has been chosen to host a presidential debate and we look forward to showcasing our destination,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the LVCVA. “Las Vegas is the No. 1 convention city in North America for 21 consecutive years because we know how to get business done, and we are confident that our experience and commitment to customer service will make this event a great success.”

The LVCVA partnered with UNLV and submitted an application in March of 2015 to host a debate.  In April, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that Las Vegas was one of 16 sites under consideration.  During the summer, the LVCVA and UNLV hosted commission staff for an on-site survey of the proposed debate venue and campus.

Las Vegas has previously hosted primary debates, presidential speeches, and been long considered for political conventions by both parties. As an early caucus state, Nevada has played a key role in the election process already this year, and hosting a presidential debate will continue to increase the global visibility of both Las Vegas and the state.  The debate attracts nearly 3,500 media representatives from around the world and can generate at least $50 million in publicity for Las Vegas and UNLV, according to data from 2012 presidential debate sites.        

Joining Ralenkotter and Jessup on the Las Vegas 2016 Presidential Debate Committee are Charles Bowling, President & Chief Operating Officer, Mandalay Bay, MGM Resorts International; Randy Garcia, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Investment Counsel Company of Nevada; Sheriff Joe Lombardo, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; George Markantonis, President & Chief Operating Officer, The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo & Convention Center; Kristin McMillan, President & CEO, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce; Shaundell Newsome, Founder, Sumnu Marketing; Kevin Page, Board of Regents, Nevada System of Higher Education; Sig Rogich, President, The Rogich Communications Group; Rob Roy, Founder & CEO, Switch; Keith Smith, President & CEO, Boyd Gaming; Donald D. Snyder, Presidential Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, UNLV; Virginia Valentine, President, Nevada Resort Association; Billy Vassiliadis, CEO & Principal, R&R Partners; Rosemary Vassiliadis, Clark County Director of Aviation, McCarran International Airport; Radha Chanderraj, Principal, Chanderraj Law Offices; and Maurice Wooden, President, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore.