Criteria for Participation in the Decision 2026 Senatorial and Gubernatorial Debates

Statement of Purpose

The James Madison Institute, Florida Trend, the LeRoy Collins Institute, the Florida Press Association, Florida Public Media, WPBF in West Palm Beach, and Alongi Media (together, the “Debate Partners”) are producing a televised debate among selected 2026 Florida candidates in the General Election race for the United States Senate and a debate among selected 2026 candidates in the General Election race for Florida’s Governor. The participation criteria for the Debate/s are explained below.

The James Madison Institute is a private, nonpartisan, statewide policy organization created for the purpose of facilitating public policy solutions that advance limited government, personal responsibility and economic freedom.

Florida Trend is a monthly print and digital publication that serves as Florida’s premier business magazine regarding state politics, economic trends, and industries.

The LeRoy Collins Institute is a private, nonpartisan, statewide policy organization which studies and promotes creative solutions to key private and public issues facing the people of Florida and the nation.

The Florida Press Association is a private, nonpartisan, statewide organization whose membership consists of Florida’s daily and weekly newspapers and online local media.

Florida Public Media is a non-profit association of 24 public radio and public television stations in the state of Florida, reaching more than 99% of Florida’s population.

Alongi Media is an award-winning nationally respected television production company that has produced numerous political debates in Florida and other states, including producing live political party nominating conventions for national broadcast.

WPBF 25 is the ABC Network affiliate in Palm Beach County, owned by Hearst, that has been the anchoring producing station in the last four “Before You Vote” statewide television debates.

The Debate Partners are not state actors, agents or agencies, though the site host, FAU, is a public university. The Debates will be primarily financed by private funding provided by the Partners and Debate sponsors.

The goal of the Debate/s is to offer the citizens of Florida an opportunity, in a broad-ranging debate format, to learn about, compare, and carefully consider candidates with a threshold level of support from whom Florida voters will elect a United States Senator and Governor.  In order to achieve this goal, the Debate Partners adopt the Candidate Selection Criteria (“Criteria”) set forth below for identifying those candidates who will be invited to participate in the Debate/s. It is the intent of the Debate Partners that the Criteria comply with all applicable legal requirements and that candidate participation in the Debate/s will be based upon the application of pre-established, objective standards as expressed in the Criteria.

2026 Florida Debate

The televised senatorial and gubernatorial general election Debate/s will occur in October 2026 at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton campus. Florida Atlantic University is the Debate Site Host.

Florida Atlantic University is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce.

Florida Atlantic University has not played any role in developing these Criteria and will not play any role in eligibility determinations or in the direction and production of the Debate.

Candidate Selection Criteria

  1. To qualify to be invited to participate in the Debate, a candidate must satisfy the following criteria:
    1. The candidate must satisfy all eligibility requirements of the governing body responsible for the elections.
    2. The candidate must be legally qualified for and registered to participate as a candidate in the 2026 State of Florida United States Senator general election or in the 2026 State of Florida Gubernatorial general election.
    3. A candidate must meet the polling thresholds in these Criteria.
    4. To qualify to participate in the Debate, a candidate must, in addition to the other standards set forth herein, satisfy the following standards in a poll selected by the Debate Partners in their sole and exclusive discretion (the “Selected Poll”).  The Selected Poll will be conducted among likely voters in the general election by an independent polling firm determined by the Debate Partners, in their sole and exclusive discretion, to be credible and reliable (see 1.F).  The Selected Poll will include at least 800 registered voter respondents and will be conducted, completed, and in the possession of the Debate Partners between September 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026.  A qualifying candidate must have at least 12.5% support in the Selected Poll (including the full benefit of the Selected Poll’s +/- percentage margin of error).  By way of example, if the Selected Poll shows a candidate receiving 10% support among registered voter respondents, and the Selected Poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.5%, the candidate’s support, including the full margin of error, is 13.5%, and thus, if all other applicable criteria are met, the candidate qualifies to be invited to participate in the Debate.  The Debate Partners reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to alter or amend the criteria if the Selected Poll indicates that there are more than 35% undecided voters without regard to margin of error.
    5. The candidate and his/her campaign representatives must agree in writing, on behalf of the candidate and the campaign, to abide by all rules concerning the conduct of the Debate.
    6. For purposes of these rules, the term “independent poll” means a poll that is not commissioned or performed by or on behalf of a candidate or the supporter of a candidate or by or on behalf of a political party.  The Debate Partners reserve the sole and absolute discretion to determine whether a poll is reputable and independent and will be used as the Selected Poll.  In making such determination, the Debate Partners will consider, without limitation, factors such as the pollster’s experience, whether the pollster is a member of any polling or political consultant professional organizations, whether and the extent to which the pollster has been hired by media or other nonpartisan organizations to do national, statewide or congressional district polling with published results.
  2. The deadline to meet the requirements of these Criteria for participation in the Debate is October 1, 2026.  The Debate Partners will advise qualifying candidates of their eligibility to participate in the Debate shortly thereafter.
  3. The Debate Partners will not accept any polling results other than those reflected in the Selected Poll, specifically including but not limited to any polling results paid for or otherwise obtained, directly or indirectly, by a candidate, a candidate’s campaign, or any supporter of the candidate, and regardless of whether such polling results otherwise satisfy paragraph 1.D above.
  4. The Debate Partners or their designee may cancel, postpone, or reschedule this Debate in their sole discretion. The Debate Partners are not responsible or otherwise liable for any cost or expense of any candidate in the event the Debate Partners cancel, postpone, or reschedule this debate.
  5. ALL DECISIONS CONCERNING THIS DEBATE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SELECTED POLL, CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS, CANDIDATE INVITATIONS, AND THE INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THESE CRITERIA, ARE WITHIN THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE DEBATE PARTNERS OR THEIR DESIGNEE AND SHALL BE FINAL. THE DEBATE PARTNERS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ALTER OR AMEND THESE CRITERIA AT THEIR SOLE DISCRETION.
  6. Special Note:  The foregoing Debate Participation Criteria are substantially like the criteria used by Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association during their 2022 and 2016 Debates, and previously in their 2014 Gubernatorial Debate, except for the percentage threshold (15% in 2014).  The 2014 participation criteria were the subject of litigation in the case of Adrian Wyllie for Governor Campaign v. Leadership Florida, 2014 WL 5147758 (S.D. Fla. October 14, 2014) (Order Denying Plaintiff’s Emergency Motion for Temporary Restraining Order or Preliminary Injunction).  The Debate Partners believe that the participation criteria for this Debate are more favorable for candidates seeking to participate in this Debate than the criteria the Debate Partners used and successfully defended through litigation in 2014.  Any candidate who is not invited to participate in the Debate based on these criteria is hereby urged to carefully review the decision in the Wyllie case before initiating litigation.

 

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.