General Election Statewide TV Debates Announced in Florida’s 2026 Races for U.S. Senator, Governor
The respected, effective non-partisan partnership that has produced LIVE statewide televised debates in Florida for more than 20 years is organized again for the state’s exciting 2026 races for Governor and U.S. Senator.
Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton will host this year’s general election debates — with the U.S. Senate debate now set for Tuesday, October 13th, followed by the contest for Governor on Thursday, October 15th. Both debates will be broadcast from 7-8pm Eastern, with one-hour time zone delays in Panama City and Pensacola.
“Decision 2026: Before YOU Vote” is the longest running televised debate series in Florida’s modern history. Partners in the project include Florida Trend, The James Madison Institute, Florida Press Association/Foundation, the LeRoy Collins Institute, and the project’s lead producing station, WPBF/25, the Hearst-owned ABC affiliate, in West Palm Beach.
“As voters prepare to make important decisions that will shape the future of our state and nation, Florida Atlantic University is proud to serve as a trusted convener for these debates,” said Adam Hasner, president of Florida Atlantic University. “While the debates present an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and participate in the democratic process, they also provide a great educational experience for our students, who will be able to witness democracy in action.”
Sponsors helping to offset costs of the debate project include the Florida League of Cities, Florida Realtors, Florida Bankers Association, & the Claude Pepper Foundation. One sponsorship remains available. All funding for the project is administered by “Decision 2026” fiscal agent, the Florida Press Foundation.
As the second term of Governor Ron DeSantis heads toward completion, Florida is drawing national political interest as the state is expected to have robust contests to elect Florida’s next U.S. Senator and Governor, on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot.
When Florida’s former U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as America’s Secretary of State, Governor DeSantis appointed the state’s former Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to the U.S. Senate seat. The winner in November will complete the last two years of former Senator Rubio’s six-year term.
“Florida has built one of the strongest economies in the country, and the decisions made in this election will help shape what comes next for our businesses, workforce and communities,” said David Denor, Publisher and President of Florida Trend. “We’re proud to once again support a debate program that has earned the trust of Floridians through its commitment to fairness and integrity for more than two decades.”
Dr. Robert McClure, President & CEO of The James Madison Institute, offered insight about the importance of the “Before YOU Vote” 2026 edition.
“These debates provide Floridians with an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, compare their ideas, and make informed decisions before casting their ballots,” said Dr. McClure. “We’re proud to continue partnering with organizations across Florida to promote civil discourse, increase voter understanding, and strengthen our state’s democratic institutions through this longstanding tradition.”
Globally renowned Alongi Media’s dynamic father-and-son producer duo — Phil Alongi Sr. and Phil Alongi II – are the Executive Producers of the “Before YOU Vote” series. Their award-winning broadcast and live event production company has decades of experience producing political debates, town halls, and nationally televised special events. Collectively, the Alongi Media team has produced more than 100 political debates and earned more than 150 Emmy® Awards across news, live events, and broadcast production. Since 2016, Alongi Media has served as the trusted production partner for the “Before YOU Vote” Florida debate series.
Conference calls have already been held between the debate producers at Alongi Media, and the chairs of both the Republican Party of Florida, Evan Power, and the Florida Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried. It is expected that after the primary period, nominees for the major parties in both races will earn an invitation and choose to participate, as nominees generally have for previous cycles in this trusted series.
As in “Before YOU Vote” prior debates, any candidate must reach a specific reasonable threshold level of public support to qualify for the debates, as measured by a poll to be conducted for the debate organizers by Mason-Dixon Polling in September. A qualifying candidate must have at least 12.5% support in the poll (including the full benefit of the poll’s +/- percentage margin of error).
“An informed electorate is essential to a strong democracy — and these debates provide voters with the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates on the issues that matter most,” said Carolyn Nolte, President & CEO of the Florida Press Association. “As an organization dedicated to supporting trusted journalism and civic engagement, we are honored to help facilitate these important conversations and ensure voters have access to the information they need to participate fully in our democratic process.”
Dr. Lonna Atkeson, Director of the LeRoy Collins Institute, underscored the significance of the debates.
“Our nonpartisan research and programming strengthen a Florida electorate that is informed, engaged, and confident in the integrity of our elections,” she said. “We’re proud to partner on ‘Before YOU Vote’ because these debates give voters information they need to evaluate candidates for themselves — before casting ballots.”
A consortium of top network affiliate TV station broadcast partners statewide will blanket Florida with the debate programs in all 10 Florida markets:
| West Palm Beach | WPBF 25 / ABC | Orlando | WESH 2 / NBC |
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | WFLA 8 / NBC | Miami/Ft. Lauderdale | WTVJ NBC 6 |
| Gainesville | WCJB 20 / ABC | Fort Myers | WBBH / Gulf Coast News |
| Tallahassee | WCTV 6 / CBS | Jacksonville | WJXX 25 / ABC |
| Pensacola | WEAR 3 / ABC | Panama City | WMBB 13 / ABC |
Florida Public Media is expected to simulcast the debates on the state’s public radio stations, and a Spanish-language broadcast of the debates will also be provided. C-Span is expected to rebroadcast both entire debates nationally, as in prior cycles of the “Before YOU Vote” project.
WPBF anchor Todd McDermott will serve as moderator for both debates, with a two-person panel of journalists also asking questions of the candidates.
“These debates have become an integral part of our ongoing mission at WPBF – to keep our viewers informed about the leaders and issues that will directly affect their lives for years to come,” said Caroline Taplett, President and General Manager of WPBF. “The ‘Before YOU Vote’ series has trusted our station and excellent team with helping to produce the debates that have served millions of Floridians who have watched for many election cycles.”
The “Before YOU Vote” project produced the 2018 gubernatorial debate in the race featuring Governor Ron DeSantis against Democratic challenger, former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum; and the 2022 debate featuring then-incumbent U.S. Senator Marco Rubio against Democrat challenger, former Congresswoman Val Demings.
For news media seeking to register for credentials to attend and cover the debates, please contact: Karen Tower ktower@flpress.com 850-566-7735
For more information about the remaining sponsorship opportunity in “Decision 2026: Before YOU Vote,” please contact: Ron Sachs ron@sachsmedia.com 850-321-8048
