LSU’s Manship School to Host Secretary of State Candidate Forum

October 10, 2018
Baton Rouge, LA –Louisiana Secretary of State candidates will convene at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication to discuss their vision for office as part of LSU President King Alexander’s multiple-day Behind the Ballot Symposium Oct. 29 and 30. The Secretary of State Candidate Forum, slated for Oct. 29 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. is hosted by the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School.

The Secretary of State Candidate Forum will explore factors that impact voter behavior and will include questions on election integrity, college-aged voters and voting rights. Questioning panelists will include Jeremy Alford, publisher and editor of LaPolitics Weekly; Jessica Rosgaard, supervising editor and producer for 89.9 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio (NPR affiliate); Stewart Lockett, LSU Student Body President; and Natalie Anderson, The Daily Reveille’s editor-in-chief. The candidate forum will be moderated by Manship School senior journalism student, Laryssa Bonacquisti.

“Given the current national conversation surrounding election security, this event is not only timely, but it closely aligns with Manship School’s mission of serving the public by providing relevant public affairs programming for citizens across Louisiana and beyond,” Jenée Slocum, Ph.D., director of the Reilly Center, said. “We are excited to collaborate with President Alexander and his team on this impactful day of events.”

The following candidates have confirmed their attendance at the Louisiana Secretary of State Candidate Forum:

  • Kyle Ardoin (R), Acting Secretary of State of Louisiana
  • Heather Cloud, (R), Mayor, Turkey Creek, Louisiana
  • Gwen Collins-Greenup (D), Notary public and recent law school graduate
  • Rep. A.G. Crowe (R), Former member of Louisiana State Senate
  • Rick Edmonds (R), State Representative, Louisiana District 66
  • Renee Fontenot Free (D), Director of the Louisiana Attorney General’s Public Protection Division
  • Matthew Paul Moreau (No Party), Owner, Medical equipment business
  • Julie Stokes (R), State Representative, Louisiana District 69

The two-day bipartisan event, “Behind the Ballot: Examining the Influences and Trends Driving Modern Elections” is held in partnership with Geaux Vote, a non-partisan student organization with the goal of increasing student civic engagement. It will feature scholars from the LSU family of campuses, Southern University, elected officials, community leaders and others. LSU will host 25 events over two days, including:

  • A history of voting rights for the disenfranchised
  • A look at persuasive creative elements in campaign designs
  • An exploration of the impact political polls and election forecasting have on voter behavior
  • A talk about election integrity with cybersecurity experts and much more.

The full working agenda and other developing details are available at www.lsu.edu/behindtheballot.

The Secretary of State Forum is sponsored by the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication and LSU’s Office of the President. The event will be held in the Holliday Forum of LSU’s Journalism Building (at the corner of Fieldhouse Drive and North Stadium Drive). General attendance parking is available at the LSU Barnes and Noble bookstore (at the corner of Highland Road and Veterans Drive). This event is invitation-only and will be broadcast live on WAFB-TV’s mobile app, on WAFB-TV sister station WBXH-TV, on the Manship School’s YouTube channel, and broadcast later by WRKF-FM.

Reporters on deadline needing a closer parking pass should e-mail smalin@lsu.edu for assistance (24 hours’ notice is requested). 

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The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented, and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge. Underlying the Center’s endeavors is to strengthen and advance the Manship School’s national and state leadership in media and politics.

 

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