KIRO 7, League of Women Voters to host U.S. Senate debate

U.S. Senate candidates Senator Maria Cantwell and Dr. Raul Garcia to answer questions from Western Washington voters on October 17 

||| FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WASHINGTON |||

Seattle, Wash. – KIRO 7, Seattle’s #1 local news station*, and the League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund (LWVWA-EF), announced today they will partner to host a live, one-hour debate with Washington U.S. Senate candidates, Senator Maria Cantwell and Dr. Raul Garcia.  The debate will air live on KIRO 7’s broadcast and streaming platforms on Thursday, October 17, at 12 pm, with a re-airing at 7 pm.  The debate will be hosted by KIRO 7 anchor, Monique Ming Laven, and will air the day before ballots will be mailed to voters in Washington State.  This will be the first debate to be televised in Western Washington between the two candidates.

The debate will be made available for simulcast on radio and TV stations across Washington State, in partnership with the Washington State Association of Broadcasters.The goal is to provide maximum access and time for voters to hear directly from the U.S. Senate candidates on the issues most important to our state.

To ensure voters have the ability to have their questions answered directly by the candidates, viewers can submit questions to the candidates at www.kiro7.com/debate or by emailing questions to the League at forumquestion@lwvwa.org. Questions should be answerable by both candidates, be relevant to the elected position, and include the voter’s name and city of residence.

“KIRO 7 is committed to providing vital in-depth information with greater context and understanding to empower our viewers,” said Pat Nevin, Vice President and General Manager of KIRO 7.  “The results of this U.S. Senate race impact the lives of Western Washington residents and shape our country.  Hosting this debate—and providing live, state-wide access to the candidates—is key to providing viewers with the most relevant and important information they need to cast their vote.”

League of Women Voters of Washington President, Mary Coltrane, added, “The League of Women Voters is committed to empowering voters and defending democracy. Candidate debates are essential to this. The League thanks Candidates Cantwell and Garcia for presenting themselves to the voters so they will have the best information possible as they make their voting decision for this important office.”

KIRO 7 and the League of Women Voters of Washington worked together previously on the 2022 Washington State U.S. Senate Town Hall for Senator Patty Murray, and challenger Tiffany Smiley.  That event was viewed by 100,000** people across the state.

*Source:  NSI March-December ’23 and January-June ‘24 A25-54, #1 shares from Local News and KIRO TP’s only Mo-Su calculated by avg Qtr Hr by day. 

**Source Town Hall viewership: Nielsen NLTV P18+ October 30, 2022, and GA360 data for kiro7.com, and the KIRO 7 news apps on phone and TV.

About Cox Media Group
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About League of Women Voters of Washington
The League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund is a nonpartisan grassroots organization. It does not support or oppose candidates, or political parties.  We encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The LWVWA-EF works to educate voters by holding candidate debates and forums, registering voters and supporting VOTE411.org, a personalized, national voter guide.