Public can score gubernatorial debate tickets Thursday

Tickets for this month’s debate in Vancouver between gubernatorial candidates Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna will be up for grabs beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Those wanting one of the 43 tickets that have been set aside for the public can reserve a ticket online at the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s website, http://www.vancouverusa.com. From the main web page, click on the “Events” link, and then click on the “Debate” link to sign up.

Those without Internet access also can call the chamber at 360-694-2588. The tickets are free, and those signing up can reserve only one ticket rather than a group of tickets.

The debate will take place 8 to 9 p.m. Aug. 29 in the auditorium at Washington State University Vancouver.

The university’s auditorium seats 190 people. About a quarter of those seats were reserved for the public, while the remainder of the seats have been given to the Inslee and McKenna campaigns, Clark County schools, other community groups, and local governments, such as Camas and La Center.

The debate will be broadcast live on KATU-TV, and Brian Wood will be the host. It will be rebroadcast on CVTV.

Inslee and McKenna expressed interest in having the debate at WSUV. The venue is a good setting for a televised debate and will offer the candidates adequate security, chamber president Kelly Parker said. The downside is that the campus does not have a venue that seats a larger crowd of people, she said.