Senate, House candidates set to debate

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Candidates for the state's three U.S. House seats and New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat will be on the air this week in debates on KRQE News 13 and Public Broadcasting Service channels.

The News 13 debate between Democrat Martin Heinrich and Republican former Rep. Heather Wilson is set for 6 p.m. Thursday.  The winning candidate will succeed retiring Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a former state attorney general who has served in the Senate since 1983.

The Senate debate also will be streamed live on KRQE.com.

On PBS newsman Sam Donaldson will host the First and Third Congressional District debates in the KNME-TV studios Albuquerque at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The Second Congressional District debate will be held at KRWG-TV at New Mexico State University at 9 p.m. Thursday following the national vice-presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan.

The local PBS broadcasts and rebroadcastscan be found here:

Congressional District 1

Candidates: Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) and Janice Arnold Jones (R)

Tuesday, October 9.

• 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1, Comcast HD Ch. 202
• 10 p.m. on Ch. 9.1, Comcast HD Ch. 204

Saturday, October 13

• 2 p.m. on Ch. 9.1, Comcast HD Ch. 204

Congressional District 3

Candidates: Incumbent Ben Ray Lujan (D) and Jeff Byrd (R)

Wednesday, October 10

• 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1, Comcast HD Ch. 202
• 10 p.m. on Ch. 9.1, Comcast HD Ch. 204

Saturday, October 13

• 2 p.m. on Ch. 9.1, Comcast HD Ch. 204

Congressional District 2

Candidates: Incumbent Steve Pearce (R) and Evelyn Madrid Erhard (D) Moderator: TBD

Thursday, October 11

• 9 p.m. on Ch. 5.1 KRQE-TV, Las Cruces, NM