NH IOP Hosts 'Lesser-Known' #FITN2016 Candidates Jan. 19

MANCHESTER, NH 0 The New Hampshire Institute of Politics & Political Library will host a debate forum for lesser-known presidential candidates on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016.

The debate forum will be held in the NHIOP auditorium at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Nine Republican candidates and 20 Democratic candidates will participate, according to a press statement. Each candidate will make an opening statement and respond to questions from panelists.

Mike Memoli, a reporter in the Washington bureau for Tribune Publishing, will serve as moderator. Memoli covers the White House and the 2016 presidential campaign as a reporter in the Washington bureau for Tribune Publishing, whose properties include the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. He joined Tribune in 2010 after previously working for Real Clear Politics, NBC News and the National Journal’s Hotline. As a digital reporter for NBC covering the 2008 campaign he was first assigned not to a candidate but a state: New Hampshire, a model that has become common for networks covering the presidential primary.

Panelists include Brad Mielke, Campaign Digital Journalist for ABC News and John DiStaso, Political Reporter with WMUR. Mielke is covering the New Hampshire primary for ABC News, where he is embedded as a Campaign Digital Journalist. He is also a reporter for ABC Radio, where he won a 2015 Edward R. Murrow Award. DiStaso has been a political reporter with WMUR since April 2015, writing political stories for the station’s website and frequently providing analysis for TV stories. A 35-year Granite Stater, John began his New Hampshire journalism career as the Seacoast area correspondent for the New Hampshire Union Leader. As a staff reporter and later the Senior Political Reporter for the Union Leader from early 1980 through the spring of 2014, John covered many public policy issues and dozens of political campaigns and candidates.

Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine will serve as timekeeper.

The Republican Debate Forum will begin at 6 p.m. and last until 7:15 p.m. A 10-minute break will be followed by the Democratic Debate Forum from 7:25 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Closing remarks will be made after.

The Lesser-Known Candidate Forum has taken place since 1972. It offers a unique opportunity for citizens to hear from alternative candidates from multiple states. This event is also part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the New Hampshire primary. The first-in-the-nation presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.

Registration is required for this event. Please register here.