Kerry Gibson, Blake Moore, Bob Stephenson and Katie Witt participate in the 1st Congressional District Republican debate on June 2, 2020. (PHOTO: Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah- With just 61 days until the 2020 election, political candidates are preparing to face off their opponents on the stage. Here’s the schedule for Utah’s statewide and congressional debates — as well as for the presidential race.
The Utah Debate Commission released the 2020 debate schedule for its statewide and congressional races, slating time for one debate per race. Each of the debates will be televised or streamed online, limiting in-person audiences.
The 2020 election sequence will kick off Sept. 24 with a debate between the candidates for Utah’s 1st Congressional District: Darren Parry (D) and Blake Moore (R).
The seat is the only congressional race in Utah with an open seat this election, as incumbent Rob Bishop (R-UT) announced he would not be running for re-election in July 2019. Instead, Bishop ran an unsuccessful nomination for lieutenant governor as Thomas Wright’s running mate.
The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: Gubernatorial candidates will face off in the second debate, taking part in one of the most high-profile debates Utah expects to see. Lt. Gov Spencer Cox (R-UT) will join the University of Utah professor Chris Peterson (D-UT) in their first debate.
All eyes are on the governor’s race this year, as the state is guaranteed a new state leader for the first time in over a decade. After a tight primary, Cox emerged from a four-way race as the GOP candidate.
When: The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: President Donald Trump will face Democratic challenger Joe Biden on the debate stage for the first time Sept. 29 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The debate will be moderated by Chris Wallace, anchor of Fox News Sunday.
When: The debate will begin 7 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: Vice President Mike Pence (R) and Kamala Harris (D) will meet on the debate stage for the first time since Harris was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate.
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Oct. 11, 2019, it would host the lone vice-presidential debate at the University of Utah — marking the first time a national debate has been held in the Beehive State.
When: The 90-minute debate will run uninterrupted and be moderated by Susan Page of USA Today. It will begin at 6 p.m. and stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: Lone Democrat Ben McAdams (D-UT) will face former NFL player Burgess Owens (R) in the most high-profile congressional race Utah expects to see this year. As McAdams seeks to defend his seat, Owens has been gaining national attention after speaking during the Republican National Convention last week.
The election for Utah’s 4th District is expected to be tight, as The Cook Political Report deemed the race a toss-up in mid-August.
When: The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) will seek to defend his seat in the upcoming election, as he faces Democratic candidate Devin Thorpe. The two will face off in a debate Oct. 15.
When: The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will face off for the second time at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
The debate was originally scheduled to take place at the University of Michigan, but the college later determined it would turn down the offer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steve Scully, political editor of C-SPAN, will moderate the debate.
When: The 90-minute debate will run uninterrupted beginning at 7 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: During the debate for Utah’s 2nd District, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) will seek to defend his seat of Utah’s largest congressional district against Democratic challenger Kael Weston.
When: The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: The Utah 2020 debate schedule will conclude with the attorney general’s race between incumbent Sean Reyes (R-UT) facing Democratic candidate Greg Skordas.
Reyes has also seen the national spotlight in recent weeks, giving a speech during the Republican National Convention last week. The attorney general has received massive support from big donors during his re-election campaign, reporting $1.35 million during his four-year term.
When: The debate will begin at 6 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.
Who: The third and final presidential debate between President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden will take place at Belmont University in Nashville.
It will be moderated by NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker.
When: The 90-minute debate will run uninterrupted beginning at 7 p.m. and will stream live on KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM) or KSL 5 TV on-air or online.