HOUSTON, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The two candidates in the Republican primary for Texas Lieutenant Governor will square off in "Texas Votes: The Dewhurst-Patrick Debate in the Republican Lieutenant Governor's Race" live from the Houston Public Media studios on Friday, May 2, 2014, at 7 p.m. The one-hour live debate between Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and State Senator Dan Patrick will be broadcast on television, radio and streamed online. The runoff primary election will be held Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

Produced by Houston Public Media in partnership with the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB), "Texas Votes" is a commitment to provide the community with helpful resources that will encourage an informed choice on Election Day.

"Texas Votes" will air live on Houston Public Media TV 8 and News 88.7.  Video of the debate will be available for live and on-demand viewing at chron.com/debate, lavoztx.com/debate and houstonpublicmedia.org/debate.  Debate will also be aired on other radio and television stations around the state.  Media coverage will use the Twitter hashtag #txvotes to post live updates throughout the event. 

Questions on selected topics will be presented by the panel of journalists in a response/rebuttal debate format. Each candidate will be asked a specific question on the topic and given 90 seconds to respond. The opposing candidate will then have 45 seconds to respond to the original candidate's answer. Finally, the candidate who answered initially to the panelist's question will have an additional 30 seconds for the final rebuttal. Each candidate will have a one-minute opening and a 90-second closing statement.

Houston Matters executive producer and host Craig Cohen will moderate the debate as the candidates field questions from the three panelists. KPRC reporter Mary Benton, Houston Chronicle columnist and editorial writer Joe Holley and La Voz de Houston editor Aurora Losada will serve as panelists.

"Texas Votes: The Dewhurst-Patrick Debate in the Republican Lieutenant Governor's Race" is produced by Houston Public Media in partnership with the Houston Chronicle. The debate will be filmed at the Houston Public Media studios in Houston. (Due to space limitations, the debate is not open to the public.) The Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) is funding the satellite distribution of the program to commercial and public radio and television stations statewide as a public service to media outlets in Texas. Stations have the option of taking the broadcast live or delaying it. The broadcast will be available in English and Spanish and will be closed captioned. The television broadcast can be heard in Spanish on the SAP channel of the debate feed. Real-time translation and closed captioning are provided by TAB, a service it has contributed for broadcast debates since 1998.

MODERATOR AND PANELISTS
Craig Cohen is the executive producer and host of Houston Matters, Houston Public Media's look at the people, places, events and ideas that define Greater Houston. Craig is a 20+ year veteran of broadcast journalism. He's spent the bulk of his career in public media, in roles ranging from programmer and manager, to talk show host, reporter, news director, and producer. He's interviewed politicians, industry leaders, authors, newsmakers, and even the occasional Muppet.

Mary Benton is a general assignments news reporter at KPRC Local 2. She covers everything from crime to hurricanes and state and national politics. An award- winning reporter, Mary is a native of Harlingen, Texas, and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. A proud Texas Ex, Mary serves on the Texas Exes Black Alumni Advisory Committee. She was appointed to the Elections Advisory Committee by Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and serves on the national board of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was named a YMCA Top Achiever, Best TV News Reporter by the Houston Press and one of Houston's Top 25 Women by Rolling Out Magazine.

Joe Holley is an editorial writer and columnist at the Houston Chronicle, where he writes the weekly "Native Texan" column, prior to which he covered politics. A native Texan himself, he is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, the University of Texas at Austin and the Columbia University School of Journalism. He has been editor of the Texas Observer, an editorial page editor and columnist for newspapers in San Antonio and San Diego (where his editorial page won a Pulitzer Prize). Holley is also a regular contributor to Texas Monthly and a staff writer for The Washington Post. He came back home to Texas in 2009 to write about politics for the Houston Chronicle.

Aurora Losada is the editor of the award-winning Spanish-language publication La Voz de Houston and lavoztx.com, as well as one of the Houston Chronicle´s editorial managers. She has been financial editor for Reuters in Miami, editor for the Wall Street Journal Americas in New York, and the Washington D.C. correspondent for the one of the most influential newspaper in Spain, El Mundo. She has two Masters from Columbia University in New York, both in Journalism and in International and Public Affairs, and she is a member of the South Regional Committee of the Marshall Scholarships granted by the UK government.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Houston Public Media

Houston Public Media (houstonpublicmedia.org) is comprised of TV 8, News 88.7 and Classical 91.7. With a combined weekly audience of more than 1.5 million, Houston Public Media is committed to delivering content that goes beyond the ordinary in the focus areas of news and information, arts and culture, and education. A community service of the University of Houston, Houston Public Media is supported by financial gifts from its members and the community through Houston Public Media Foundation, formerly known as the Association for Community Broadcasting, a non-profit 501(c)(3). Connect on Facebook at facebook.com/houstonpublicmedia and Twitter at twitter.com/HoustonPubMedia.

Houston Chronicle Media Group

The Houston Chronicle, the largest newspaper in Texas and the nation's sixth-largest newspaper, has evolved into a multi-media company producing a portfolio of print and online products serving the diverse audiences within Houston, in English and Spanish.  As part of its core product portfolio, Houston Chronicle Media Group (HCMG) creates unique community and Hispanic experiences through its Ultimate Community News publications, serving eleven distinct areas in and around Houston, and La Voz, serving as a key source of local news for Houston Hispanics.  In addition to its core product portfolio, HCMG reaches key Houston growth audiences with specialized publications including HealthZone, bringing comprehensive health technology news to the healthcare industry monthly and FuelFix, a daily news gathering organization and publication providing analysis and perspective to the energy sector. The Houston Chronicle is owned by the Hearst Corporation.

Texas Association of Broadcasters

The Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, professional trade organization representing the interests of Texas radio and television stations. TAB advocates for a favorable climate for free, over-the-air broadcasting and educates its members and the public about opportunities and advances possible through broadcast operations. TAB is dedicated to the preservation of rights granted to the news media and individuals under the Texas Constitution and First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. www.tab.org

CONTACT:
Stephanie Ceritelli, Marketing Manager
713.743.8965 sceritelli@houstonpublicmedia.org
Pamela Kehoe, Marketing Director
713.362.6038 pam.kehoe@chron.com

SOURCE Houston Chronicle