NHPR will host a series of candidate debates leading up to the 2022 New Hampshire midterm elections as part of an on-going effort to inform New Hampshire voters as they engage in the upcoming election. These debates are held in collaboration with New Hampshire PBS and the New Hampshire Bulletin. Reporters from NHPR and the New Hampshire Bulletin will co-moderate the debates, which will focus on the races for Governor, U.S. House District 2 and the U.S. Senate. NHPBS will work with NHPR on the live video feed and television broadcast of the debates.
Debates 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 its Facebook Live feed, and rebroadcast evenings on NHPR. The debates will also be available and live streamed on nhpbs.org/nhvotes and broadcast later on NHPBS. 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.
These debates are part of a broader portfolio of election coverage offered by NHPR. Find more information on the 2022 midterm election at https://www.nhpr.org/elections-2022.
“In this important midterm election, hearing directly from people all over the Granite State about their concerns is core to our public service mission,” said Jim Schachter, President & CEO of NHPR. “Our ongoing collaboration with NHPBS and the New Hampshire Bulletin allows us to further expand the reach of these debates and lets more Granite State listeners and viewers hear and see from the candidates for higher office.”
Dana Wormald, editor-in-chief of the New Hampshire Bulletin, said, “The participation of candidates in public debates is a fundamental part of the democratic process. Voters deserve a chance to listen to candidates articulate their positions, and challenge the positions of their opponents, in an arena where there is no chance for the candidate to huddle with advisers before answering. The Bulletin is honored to team up with NHPR and NHPBS for this latest round of debates, and we hope all who care about the future of this state and nation will tune in as they prepare to cast their votes in November.”
“Our collaboration with NHPR and New Hampshire Bulletin provides New Hampshire citizens with much-needed comprehensive coverage during this political season,” says NHPBS President and CEO Peter Frid. “We will be live streaming all of the debates on nhpbs.org/nhvotes and broadcasting them on two of our channels NHPBS and NHPBS Explore.”
Debate Schedule
New Hampshire Governor
Tuesday, Oct 25: Republican Chris Sununu and Democrat Tom Sherman.
- Moderators: NHPR’s Josh Rogers and New Hampshire Bulletin’s Ethan DeWitt.
- Live from noon-1 pm, rebroadcast at 8 pm; Facebook livestream.
- To join in person for this debate, reserve tickets here.
U.S. Senate
Thursday, Oct 27: Democrat Maggie Hassan and Republican Don Bolduc.
- Hosts NHPR’s Josh Rogers and New Hampshire Bulletin’s Amanda Gokee.
- Live from noon-1 pm, rebroadcast at 8 pm; Facebook livestream.
- To join in person for this debate, reserve tickets here.
2nd Congressional District
Friday, Oct 28: Democrat Annie Kuster and Republican Robert Burns
- Moderators: NHPR’s Todd Bookman, and New Hampshire Bulletin’s Annmarie Timmins.
- Live from noon-1 pm, rebroadcast at 8 pm; Facebook livestream.
- To join in person for this debate, reserve tickets here.
NHPBS broadcast schedule
Viewers of NHPBS can watch the debates on Saturday, Oct 29 from 8-11 pm on NPBS Explore. They will air again on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 2-5 pm on NHPBS. During those times, the gubernatorial debate will air first, followed by the 2nd Congressional District debate, and then the U.S. Senate debate.
In-studio event note
These debates are being recorded and photographed for broadcast and used by NHPR, and NHPBS and New Hampshire Bulletin. Attendance at live events in NHPR’s Studio D implies consent to be recorded and/or photographed.
A note about a NH 1st Congressional District candidate debate
NHPR had intended to host a debate for the 1st Congressional District, and extended simultaneous invitations to Republican Karoline Leavitt and Democrat Chris Pappas. While Rep. Pappas’ campaign accepted the debate invitation, Leavitt’s campaign did not respond to multiple attempts to reach out and released a debate schedule that did not include NHPR. Given that, NHPR is unable to host a 1st Congressional District debate and instead intends to host a long-form interview with Rep. Pappas at a date yet to be determined.
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. (A fuller description of our debate criteria can be found here.) 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.
Debates are just one part of NHPR's plan for informing voters ahead of the Nov. 8 election. In addition to our ongoing election coverage, we plan to conduct and broadcast interviews with all candidates on the ballot for New Hampshire governor and U.S. Senate before the polls open. The New Hampshire Bulletin is also covering candidates and election issues on its website, newhampshirebulletin.com.