Word on the Street: 17th District in need of additional debates
Last week, word came down that the hotly contested 17th Congressional District would feature at least one televised debate between the candidates, incumbent Rep. Bobby Schilling and challenger Cheri Bustos.
Of course, it would air only in the Quad Cities - home base for Schilling, a Colona Republican, and Bustos, an East Moline Democrat.
Back when the two camps began to discuss debates in the press, we had pressed them over whether they were looking at holding other face-offs throughout the sprawling district that runs from central Illinois to the Wisconsin border north of Rockford. After all, there's a whole lot of new territory there that has never been in the 17th - including the southern half of Peoria, roughly below War Memorial Drive, and almost all of the Tazewell County communities bordering the Illinois River.
They'd indicated a willingness to consider debating on TV in the Peoria media market at the time. But when the campaigns met to discuss debates, they came away agreeing - at least initially - on only the one.
That led us to ask again: What about Peoria?
Bustos' campaign manager, Allison Jaslow, was involved in the debate negotiations for her side and reiterated her interest in holding debates around the district. So, too, did Schilling's campaign manager and son, Terry - who added that only the Quad Cities showdown was on the books because they hadn't gotten other offers yet from stations elsewhere.
Except it turns out that at least one local broadcaster is interested. WTVP Channel 47 extended an offer last month to both campaigns to meet up here.
"There's been some expression of interest, but no commitment yet," station manager Chet Tomczyk said of the debate that would be set for late October or very early November. He does have commitments, though, from their sister public television station in the Quad Cities, as well as from WCBU and the public radio station in the Quad Cities to simulcast any debate here.
That would make the debate similar to the one WTVP hosted in the Democratic primary and give more people a chance to evaluate the candidates - something particularly important around here because, as Tomczyk says, "We've got candidates who aren't from around the area, who aren't familiar with this area, and this area isn't familiar with them."
Here's hoping we get to see the candidates debate in one of the larger communities the victor will end up representing. (C.K.)
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Word on the Street: 17th District in need of additional debates