Debate night 2024: Get To Know Your Local Candidates with Lakeland PBS!

Description

**Closed Events - Broadcasted LIVE on Channel and Livestream**

Bemidji & Brainerd, MN: Debate Night 2024 premieres October 7th on Lakeland PBS.

As election day nears, information about your candidates is important. That is why Lakeland PBS will once again, produce and broadcast Debate Night, a series of local live debates featuring those running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in eight different districts. Once elected, these representatives will introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, and serve on committees that will initiate change in policy and direction of our state governance. With such a large responsibility in representing the people's voice, what better way to learn about their viewpoints and positions on important topics than with questions submitted by community members and developed from our esteemed panel of local journalists and news officials. Lakeland PBS has partnered with The Bemidji Pioneer, The Brainerd Dispatch, Park Rapids Enterprise, and KAXE Northern Community Radio to create a panel that understands the pulse of our communities and what our residents want to know. Freely available to watch for all residents in northern and central Minnesota and beyond, Debate Night 2024 aims to once again provide an outlet for community members to better understand their candidates before hitting the polls. 

A message from Lakeland PBS CEO, Jeff Hanks: 

“We have been producing Debate Night since 2000 and it is a production we are proud to offer to the community every election cycle. It is such an important resource for community members to be able to hear first-hand from their candidates in a live and unedited forum like this. We live in a world where information is at our fingertips but that doesn’t mean all that information is always true or reliable and so we have found our community has really valued these live productions, being able to participate with their question submissions, and having a more authentic look at who they might consider voting for. We are grateful to the community and especially the candidates that they trust us here at Lakeland PBS to bring these debates to life.” 

The complete schedule for Debate Night 2024: 

• Live from the Lakeland PBS Bemidji Studio 

   o Monday, October 7 

        § 7 pm- House District 2A, Bidal Duran vs Reed Olson 

        § 8 pm- House District 2B, Rep. Matt Bliss vs Michael Reyes 

   o Tuesday, October 8 

        § 7 pm- House District 5A, Rep. Krista Knudsen vs Brian Hobson 

        § 8 pm- House District 7A, Rep. Spencer Igo vs Aron Schnaser 

• Live from the Lakeland PBS Brainerd Studio 

   o Thursday, October 10 

        § 7 pm- House District 5B, Rep. Mike Wiener vs Gregg Hendrickson 

        § 8 pm- House District 6A, Rep. Ben Davis vs Earl Butenhoff 

   o Friday, October 11 

        § 7 pm- House District 6B, Rep. Josh Heintzeman vs Emily LeClaire vs Troy Kenneth Scheffler 

        § 8 pm- House District 10A, Rep. Ron Kresha vs Julia Samsal Hipp 

Watch Debate Night 2024 by tuning in to the Lakeland Prime Channel, utilizing the Lakeland PBS Livestream via the PBS App or lptv.org, or watch on demand the following day on the PBS App, lptv.org, or the Lakeland PBS YouTube Channel. For more information about how to watch or access Lakeland PBS, please visit lptv.org or call 1-800-292-0922. 

You can find more local and national political resources, coverage, debates, and documentaries on the Lakeland Votes portal at lptv.org/lakelandvotes.

About Lakeland PBS: Lakeland PBS’ mission is to educate, inform, and enrich our viewers with the programming we produce right here in northern Minnesota and the nationally available programs we know our members enjoy. Lakeland PBS’ vision is to be a valued and trusted source of news, entertainment, and storytelling that connects and uplifts our diverse region. We strive to empower citizens while serving and connecting the diverse communities across our broadcast region