Clean Elections to Launch 2024 Debates with More Reach, Better Tech and a Diverse Moderator Pool

New format in partnership with the Arizona Media Association and BitFire Studios debuts May 15

Phoenix, AZ - May 13, 2024

Clean Elections, Arizona's premier non-partisan entity dedicated to voter education and the only statutory authorized provider of candidate debates, announces the start of a first-of-its-kind collaboration that will make Arizona’s 2024 candidate debates the most accessible in Arizona history.

With support from key media and advertising partners, this collaboration will produce approximately 30 political debates before the primary and general elections for both federal and statewide races plus several select county-level races.

In close collaboration with the Arizona Media Association (AMA), these debates will air in partnership with dozens of local media brands to maximize reach on TV, radio, and print/digital destinations. The result of this partnership is expected to be statewide simulcasting of major debates, regional simulcasting of local debates, and digital distribution of every debate. All debates will also be simulcast with Spanish audio translation and include an American Sign Language interpreter.

The first debate under this new agreement happens on Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. Mountain time with participation from each of the six Democratic candidates vying to represent their party in Congressional District 1.

These candidates will be the first to experience a reimagined set design by advertising agency RIESTER; more advanced production by BitFire Studios and a format moderated by a diverse pool of veteran Arizona journalists with deep newsroom experience.

All voters can submit questions for this debate (and every future debate) in two ways. They can email [email protected] or call 602-364-3477 (toll-free at 877-631-8891).

“Voting is a vital responsibility but before casting a vote citizens need to be provided the opportunity to get to know their candidates and what they stand for which makes the unfiltered nature of debates highly effective,” said Gina Roberts, Clean Elections Voter Education Director. “In addition, today’s media environment creates a high bar for what people expect to experience on their screen of choice which has made the counsel from RIESTER, AMA and BitFire Studios invaluable in an optimal experience for candidates and for voters.”

Leveraging a highly transparent and inclusive process, the debate structure and moderator selection process has been built in partnership with news leaders from media operations around the state.

“This new partnership makes sure that Arizona political debates are more accessible to voters, and that’s a win for democracy,” said Arizona Media Association President and CEO Chris Kline. “Getting support from so many Arizona local media brands means these debates will have a huge megaphone.”

Moderators for this new 2024 partnership include a rotating panel of four journalists: Steve Goldstein, Richard Ruelas, Jim Nintzel and Mary Rábago.

Each debate will be an hour-long conversation with candidates that includes back-and-forth conversation, response time limits and a focus on the issues top-of-mind for Arizona voters as outlined by recent polling conducted by Clean Elections, including the economy, abortion and immigration. Read the moderator bios on the Clean Elections website.

Richard Ruelas and Steve Goldstein kick off the series on May 15; their impressive backgrounds set the stage to engage candidates with an intelligent and insightful discussion. Steve thrives on politics, a passion honed over 25 years in radio hosting, lending profound expertise to his conversations with officials from both major parties. Richard brings his homegrown understanding as an Arizona native, the broad backdrop of stories he's covered over three decades, and his distinct experience as a debate moderator.

Ruelas’ focus as a moderator is straightforward, “It is vital that voters hear from the candidates directly. I hope these debates provide clarity.”

Sharing his reason for joining the pool of moderators, Goldstein said, “As a journalist for more than 25 years, I've always believed that an informed electorate will help lead us to having better communities and I'm convinced that the innovative approach to this year's debates in our state is going to bring more important information about candidates and issues to a greater number of voters than we've seen before."

Rounding out the moderator lineup are Mary Rábago and Jim Nintzel. Rábago, a revered bilingual public figure, navigates smoothly across broad narratives of health, education, politics, immigration, and finance, reinforced by her 20 years in journalism. Award-winning Jim Nintzel contributes his expertise in government and political reporting, a skill refined over three decades covering a diverse range of topics. The moderators will be paired and rotate into the debates schedule available on the Clean Elections website in the months to come.

Commenting on the significance of this moment, Clean Elections Executive Director Tom Collins, said “We have dedicated our careers to successfully producing the best non-partisan candidate debates, and this year marks the start of what we hope is the most modern, far-reaching, collaborative production to be seen in more than 20 years."

Debate carriage and coverage requests should be directed to Nate Kelly at the Arizona Media Association: [email protected].

Voters can find out when and where to tune into these Arizona debates by visiting the debate page on the Clean Elections website.

Follow Clean Elections on Facebook (@AZCleanElections) and Instagram (@AZCleanElections) for the latest nonpartisan election information.