A public affairs student group nearly canceled a mayoral debate Tuesday that it will host tonight at the school’s library.
Invitations to the debate were originally offered to the three frontrunners — Lee Leffingwell, Brewster McCracken and Carole Keeton Strayhorn — out of the five mayoral candidates.
Earlier on Tuesday, Leffingwell and Strayhorn said they would not participate in the debate unless candidates David Buttross and Josiah Ingalls were invited as well.
Invitations to the debate were extended to all five candidates at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to the KXAN Web site, time constraints, high-profile endorsements, fundraising totals and polling data determined who was originally invited to the mayoral debate. KXAN was unavailable for comment.
If the televised event is sponsored by a private group like KXAN, inclusion of all candidates is not required, said associate journalism professor Robert Jensen.
The debate, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., will be simulcast on KXAN’s TV station and Web site.
The group, Citizens for Local and State Service, organized the debate with the LBJ School of Public Affairs’ Center for Politics and Governance and KXAN Austin News.
About 10 LBJ School students founded the organization in the fall of 2008 to promote involvement in state and local governments, said Lauren Rose, a founding member of the group and a public affairs graduate student.
The group received background information and feedback from the Center for Politics and Governance, which has hosted City Council debates. In addition, members of the group contributed articles to KXAN’s debate Web site on the student group and on different issues on which members say the future Austin mayor will need to focus.
The group has worked with the panelists and moderators to flesh out the debate questions, leaving room for audience questions and for questions submitted online via KXAN’s Web site.
The organization also plans to incorporate other student communities in setting up future mayoral debates, said Kate Mason, a founding member of the group and a public affairs graduate student.
“Getting involved with local government is an opportunity to affect people’s lives every day in small and large ways,” Mason said. “In these times of uncertainty, it’s very important to inform people on issues and help each other get through the financial crisis.”
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