CARBONDALE — The first debate between candidates for the 12th Congressional District seat is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the studio of WSIU-TV at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Democrat Bill Enyart of Belleville, Republican Jason Plummer of O’Fallon, and Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw of Carbondale will be questioned by journalists from the Belleville News-Democrat, The Southern Illinoisan and WSIU Public Radio. WSIU-TV’s Jak Tichenor will moderate.
The debate will be streamed live on bnd.com and aired on WSIU-TV and WSIU Public Radio.
The BND, The Southern Illinoisan, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, WSIU Public Television and the Jackson County League of Women Voters are sponsoring the debate.
A second debate, in Williamson County, is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. The event is likely to be broadcast. Lindenwood University in Belleville will be the site of the third debate, scheduled from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the auditorium. Lindenwood is joining the sponsorship team for the Belleville event. Enyart, Plummer and Bradshaw are competing to replace U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, who is retiring from Congress after serving 24 years. Democrats have held the district for 68 years.
The 12th District comprises 12 southwestern Illinois counties and runs southward from Alton in Madison County to Cairo in the state’s southern tip.
