The League of Women Voters of Missouri hoped to partner with Gray Media for televised debates this year in the races for Governor and U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, neither Republican candidate accepted our invitation.

“One essential purpose of the League of Women Voters is to promote informed voting,” says LWVMO President Marilyn McLeod. 

Speaking for Gray Media, KMOV News Director Scott Diener said, “Gray Media is offering two hour-long slots for statewide televised debates as an important public service in a key election year.”

Invitations and draft ground rules went to candidates who won the August primary and received more than 100,000 votes (Senator Josh Hawley, Lucas Kunce, Lt. Gov Mike Kehoe and house Minority Leader Crystal Quade). They were asked to choose a date between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 and whether they would prefer the  KCTV studio in Kansas City or KMOV’s studio in St. Louis. 

The debates would have been carried on Gray Media’s five Missouri stations (KMOV4 in St. Louis, KCTV5 in Kansas City, KY3 in Springfield, WGEM in Quincy/Hannibal and KFVS12 in Cape Girardeau) as well as stations in Columbia and Joplin.

The public would have had an opportunity to submit questions in advance.