KENW to broadcast candidate forum

Eastern New Mexico University’s KENW-TV will broadcast a live New Mexico candidate forum on Friday.

The 90-minute forum, hosted by Lorene Mills of Santa Fe and closed to the public, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. It will feature candidates answering questions on issues affecting New Mexicans, said New Mexico Municipal League Treasurer and Portales Mayor Orlando Ortega Jr.

The program will air in Portales and Clovis on channel 3 and channel 3-2 on digital television.

“Providing programs like this to the public is part of the KENW mission,” said Ortega, who is also KENW’s operations director and producer of the broadcast. “The program will give Eastern New Mexico citizens a chance to learn more about their congressional candidates.”

Holding this forum during an election year with so many candidates is a unique opportunity for the New Mexico Municipal League, Ortega said.

“We have held forums before but in the past we sponsored them,” ENMU director of broadcasting Duane Ryan said. “The Municipal League is sponsoring this forum, KENW-TV is just broadcasting it.”

The seven questions were developed by the municipal league and given to the candidates, Ryan said.

Ryan said, the candidates will have eight minutes to answer all seven of the questions or focus on one of the questions. Each of the candidates will also be given one minute toward the end of the program to summarize their answers and positions.

Seven candidates will participate in this live state-wide forum, including Senate candidates U.S. Rep. Tom Udall and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, Ortega said.

Ortega said that District 2 Congressional candidates Harry Teague and Edward Tinsley, as well as District 3 Congressional candidates Dan East, Ben Lujan and Carol Miller will also be participating in the forum.

Those attending the New Mexico Municipal League meeting in Clovis will be the audience for the forum, Ortega said.

If you miss the live broadcast the program will be aired again at 8 p.m. on Monday.