Contact: Laura Ladd Bierman

Executive Director
(518) 465-4162

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INVITATIONS TO DEBATE EXTENDED TO GUBERNATORIAL

AND UNITED STATES SENATE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Fail to Respond

Albany, NY, (Wednesday, October 6, 2010) – The League of Women Voters of New York State
(LWVNYS) and the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York (APBS) have invited
New York candidates for Governor and the United States Senate to debate this month. Despite this
unique opportunity and with less than one month left before the November 2 election, not all of the
candidates have responded to the invitation to debate. To date, in the Governor’s race, Carl
Paladino has agreed to debate; Andrew Cuomo has not yet responded. For the full term United
States Senate seat, Jay Townsend has agreed to debate; Charles Schumer, has not yet responded. In
the United States Senate special election, Joseph DioGuardi has agreed to debate; Kirsten Gillibrand
has not yet responded.

The proposed debates will be broadcast live across the state by all of APBS’ member stations and
will reach both cable subscribers and New York State’s large over air audience.

By providing the candidates with an opportunity to express their views on the issues to virtually
everyone in New York State who owns a television set, the debates will become meaningful forums
that will serve to inform and engage prospective voters.

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About LWVNYS
The LWVNYS is a nonpartisan political organization that has worked for over ninety years to encourage informed and
active participation in government, to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public
policy through education and advocacy. The LWVNYS is part of a national organization with branches in each state
and local Leagues in most counties.
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