Furman to host gubernatorial debate

Furman University will host a South Carolina gubernatorial debate on campus Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium.

The debate, which will be broadcast live statewide, will focus on education and health care.  It will last one hour.

The are no tickets remaining for either the public or the Furman community.

All five gubernatorial hopefuls are expected to participate, including Republican incumbent Gov. Nikki Haley, Democrat Vincent Sheheen, Independent Tom Ervin, Libertarian Steve French and United Citizens Party candidate Morgan Bruce Reeves.

The gubernatorial debate at Furman is one of two that will take place in the state during October.  Charleston Southern University will also host a debate Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. that will focus on jobs, the economy and growth.

The debates are being co-sponsored by The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, WCIV-TV in Charleston, WACH-TV in Columbia, WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach and WLOS-TV/WMYA-TV in Greenville. Questions and topics will be offered by a panel of two journalists from the newspaper and two from the broadcast partners.

The broadcast stations will televise the debates live, and they also will be streamed on all of the sponsors’ websites.

Tickets will be distributed to each of the candidates, who will get even allotments to distribute to their supporters. Tickets won’t be made available to the general public.

The election is Nov. 4.

For more information, contact Jill Fuson in the Riley Institute at Furman, at 864-294-3280 or jill.fuson@furman.edu.