BANGOR, Maine — The Maine Public Broadcasting Network has announced the format for the upcoming MPBN gubernatorial debate being televised and aired statewide Thursday.
MPBN has received confirmation from independent Eliot Cutler that he will appear at the debate, to be held at the Gracie Theater in Bangor, and share his views on key topics of the campaign. To date, Republican Gov. Paul LePage has declined to attend and Democrat U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud has indicated that he will not participate without LePage present. In the event that Cutler is the sole participant, MPBN’s Jennifer Rooks will sit down with the candidate for half an hour and pose questions that have been submitted to MPBN for all of the candidates. In the event that LePage or Michaud do agree to appear, then the debate will revert back to the full hourlong format.
"We are still hoping that all three candidates appear at the debate at Gracie," MPBN News Director Keith Shortall says. "We have a history of holding these debates as a public service to the people of Maine and we feel that the candidates have a responsibility to make themselves available to express their views and allow Maine’s citizens to make an informed choice on November 4. This is an outstanding opportunity for candidates to reach all of Maine — on both television and radio and over the Web — and state their case.”
The debate will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday and will be aired live on MPBN Television, Radio and online. The debate will be rebroadcast at 1 p.m. Friday on MPBN Radio and on Sunday on MPBN Television.