Delaware Debates 2018

Visit the Delaware Debates 2018 story for the UDaily article, official videos, transcripts, podcasts, and photos. Read the UD Review story about the U.S. House of Representatives debate. Read the UD Review story about the U.S. Senate debates. Read and listen to Delaware Public Media's story about the U.S. House of Representatives debate.  Read and listen to Delaware Public Medias' story about the U.S. Senate debate. See the C-SPAN coverage of the U.S. Senate debate.

Delaware's major-party candidates for the United States House of Representatives and Senate races met at the University of Delaware's Mitchell Hall Auditorium on Wednesday evening, October 17, for Delaware Debates 2018, a joint initiative of the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication (CPC) and Delaware Public Media (WDDE 91.1, WMPH 91.7 and WMHS 88.1). The event marked the fifth biennial Delaware Debates, an initiative that began in 2010.

Ralph Begleiter, founding director of the Center for Political Communication and former CNN journalist, returned to the University of Delaware to moderate. He posed questions about key issues in Delaware such as economic and job-growth policies, immigration, health care, gun violence, improving public education, legalization of marijuana, and climate change. University of Delaware and Delaware State University students also presented questions to the candidates by video.

To learn more about Delaware Debates, visit Past National Agenda Events for videos of Delaware Debates in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. Also read the University of Delaware's news story about Delaware Debates 2016.

The debates were supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and by numerous UD sponsors, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Provost, Office of the President, School of Public Policy and Administration, Department of Communication, and Department of Political Science and International Relations.

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presented Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media interviewed all candidates who filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor, and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race answered the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the Midterm Matters podcast, Delaware Public Media host Tom Byrne speaks with University of Delaware political experts to explore the national and local issues emerging with the upcoming midterm election. To learn more about the University of Delaware's National Agenda program, visit www.udel.edu/nationalagenda.

The University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary initiative that is committed to the emerging field of political communication.

• The CPC supports collaborative, interdisciplinary teams of social scientists, who examine issues related to voting, civil rights and liberties, media effects, and intergroup relations.
• The CPC's events and programs inspire public participation in politics, engaging the next generation of public service leaders, in the United States and abroad.
• University of Delaware students expand their knowledge about political communication by minoring in political communication as undergraduates.
• The CPC supports University of Delaware students and UD departments who conduct their own initiatives to support political communication, especially research and public events.