NHPR will host a series of candidate forums leading up to the 2024 General Election as part of an on-going effort to inform New Hampshire voters on local races for Governor, and Congressional Districts 1 and 2.
These forums are held in collaboration with the Granite State News Collaborative, and will be moderated by both NHPR reporters and GSNC journalists. NHPBS will work with NHPR on the live video feed and television broadcast of the debates.
Forums will be held in NHPR’s Studio D before a live audience and will be broadcast live on the stations of NHPR, streamed through the NHPR app and on NHPR’s Youtube page, and rebroadcast evenings on NHPR. The forums will also be available and live streamed on nhpbs.org and broadcast later on NHPBS.
"We believe that an informed electorate is the cornerstone of our democracy," said Jim Schachter, President and CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio. "These forums will not only give candidates a platform to share visions and policies that will shape the future of New Hampshire, but will give citizens the opportunity to submit their questions in advance around the issues that matter most."
Submit your questions for the candidates by taking our brief survey.
Tickets for the live, in-studio event are free but must be reserved here. A recording of the debates will be accessible on demand via the NHPR app and via the NHPR website. News articles covering the forum will be produced by local news partners and available through Granite State News Collaborative partner outlets, including NHPR.
“This is truly a team effort,” said Melanie Plenda, Executive Director of The Granite State News Collaborative. “I think this endeavor shows our collective commitment to work together to make sure our communities have the information they need.”
These live conversations between the candidates are part of a broader portfolio of election coverage offered by NHPR. Find all of NHPR’s election coverage, here.
Forum Schedule
1st Congressional District
Friday, Oct 18: Democrat Chris Pappas and Republican Russell Prescott.
- Hosts NHPR’s Todd Bookman and Manchester InkLink’s Andrew Sylvia
- Live from 12 p.m. -1 p.m., rebroadcast at 7 p.m.; Youtube livestream.
- To join in person for this forum reserve tickets here.
New Hampshire Governor
Tuesday, Oct 22: Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig.
- Moderators: NHPR’s Josh Rogers and New Hampshire Bulletin’s Annmarie Timmins
- Live from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m., rebroadcast at 9 p.m.; Youtube livestream.
- To join in person for this forum, reserve tickets here.
2nd Congressional District
Monday, Oct 28: Democrat Maggie Goodlander and Republican Lily Tang Williams
- Moderators: NHPR’s Mara Hoplamazian, and the Concord Monitor’s Michaela Towfighi
- Live from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m., rebroadcast at 9 p.m.; Youtube livestream.
- To join in person for this forum, reserve tickets here.
Debate criteria
The NHPR Newsroom’s goal for these debates is to present voters with a chance to draw clear contrasts among the candidates before they cast their ballots on Election Day.
Because debates must occur within a limited time, NHPR must adopt criteria for deciding which candidates to invite to participate. To that end, and consistent with long-standing practice, the NHPR newsroom invited candidates for the major political parties to participate using the criteria defined in state election law and by the New Hampshire Secretary of State.
New Hampshire defines major parties for elections as those whose candidates have won at least 4% of the vote in the most recent statewide election (i.e. governor and U.S. Senate). Currently, the only political parties in New Hampshire to have reached that threshold are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
NHPR extended invitations to these debates to all top Democrat and Republican candidates prior to the primary election in September, giving campaigns equal opportunity to respond and commit to participating. After the primary, NHPR worked with the winning campaigns to determine a debate date that worked for candidates from each party.
