Miami to host Ohio U.S. Senate debate next week

Photo by photoeditor | The Miami Student
Sen. Sherrod Brown

Miami University, in partnership with WLWT Ch. 5, will host the final Ohio U.S. Senate debate between U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R-16) next Friday, Oct. 26 in Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Tickets are free and will be available to the Miami community on Oct. 22 and will then be made public on Oct. 24 from the Miami Box Office.

Brown is a two-term Senator originally from Mansfield, OH. He now lives in Cleveland.

Renacci is a four-term Representative of the 16th District from Wadsworth, OH, where he currently resides.

Brown's campaign platform includes measures to make college more affordable for the middle class, reinvigorate the Ohio public education system, fight for small business owners and provide affordable, quality healthcare to all Ohioans, according to his campaign website.

Renacci's campaign platform includes promoting school choice, securing the border and opposing sanctuary for those who are seeking asylum, cutting taxes similar to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed last year and repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act with a "patient centric, market based system," according to his campaign website.

John Forren, an associate professor in the department of justice and community studies at the Miami Hamilton campus, will be one of the panelists for the debate.

Forren said the debate is part of a series the university has instituted to give voters in the area an opportunity to hear from candidates while the university fulfills its public service mission.

"This is right in our wheelhouse," Forren said. "The Regional campuses aim to serve the community, and this is part of our focus on community engagement."

Forren said this is an important election year, especially so because the Senate seat in question is so closely contested.

"The debate will probably attract outside attention from the mainstream media because it's so important," Forren said.