Debate Commission Locks In Indiana Senate Contenders

The five Republican U.S. Senate candidates will go head-to-head on live TV in Indianapolis on April 20 in a debate sponsored by the Indiana Debate Commission.

The public is invited to submit, and potentially ask, questions of the candidates.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GOP SENATE DEBATE

Indiana residents who would like to ask questions of the Republican U.S. Senate candidates in the April 20 debate may submit them online at www.indianadebatecommission.com by going to the form at the bottom of the page.

Questions also may be submitted in writing by sending them by mail to Indiana Debate Commission, 3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208.

A committee of the debate commission will screen all submitted questions and interview potential questioners.

The commission's 13 affiliate groups will be asked to send representatives to ask questions of candidates in a post-debate news conference.

Some area high schools also will be invited to participate in the news conference and watch the debate in a separate screening room at Indianapolis public television station WFYI.

The debate commission's announcement that all five candidates have agreed to participate was accompanied by the news that Indianapolis public television station WFYI will host the one-hour debate at 7 p.m. CDT.

WFYI will make the debate available to any broadcast outlet. An audio feed will be available to radio stations, and the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System will webstream the debate.

Candidates in the GOP's May 4 Senate primary are former Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., former Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe, Fishers businessman Richard Behney and Richmond financial adviser Don Bates Jr.

The Senate seat is being vacated by Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. Democrats expect to nominate Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., for the seat.

A third opinion poll now shows Hostettler performing better against presumptive Democratic nominee Ellsworth than the other GOP Senate candidates.

A new telephone survey of 500 likely voters conducted by Rasmussen Reports on March 17 and 18 shows Hostettler defeating Ellsworth by a 50 percent to 32 percent margin, with the remainder of voters not sure or supporting other candidates.

Coats defeats Ellsworth by 49 percent to 34 percent, while Stutzman defeats him by 41 percent to 34 percent.

The survey was conducted with a 3.5 percent margin of error.

by Thomas B. Langhorne

A Research 2000 poll conducted late last month for the liberal blog DailyKos.com found Hostettler had the best chance of beating Ellsworth.

The poll, conducted with a 4 percent margin of error, showed Hostettler winning 40 percent of the vote to Ellsworth's 34 percent. Meanwhile, Coats was ahead by a 37 percent to 36 percent margin, a statistical dead heat.

A Rasmussen Reports poll in mid-February showed Hostettler defeating Ellsworth 46 percent to 27 percent , and Coats knocking off the Democrat, 46 percent to 32 percent.

The Indiana Debate Commission is a nonpartisan, statewide group of 13 affiliate organizations promoting debates at the state level.

In 2008, the commission sponsored televised gubernatorial debates at venues in Merrillville, Jasper and Bloomington. The commission reports more than 400 Indiana residents submitted questions to be considered by the candidates.