Dent, Daugherty to Debate Live on PBS39 Tonight

In the Lehigh Valley, there is an undercard to the heavyweight title fight that will be the debate rematch between President Obama and Mitt Romney tonight.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent and Democratic challenger Rick Daugherty will meet in a candidates’ forum that will be aired on television live from PBS39’s SteelStacks studios in South Bethlehem at 8 p.m.

The 15th Congressional District candidates' debate, which is a joint project of the station and The Morning Call, will be a special live presentation of the station’s Tempo InDepth program.

A limited number of tickets to the event were available as of Monday afternoon. If you want to reserve a seat, it is best to call the station at 610-867-4677.

Dent, 52, the incumbent Republican from Allentown, is seeking his fifth term in Congress. Daugherty, 60, of Lowhill Township, is currently the executive director of the Lehigh County Senior Center in Allentown.

The congressional debate will be over before the presidential debate begins, but you’ll have to change the channel to watch that. PBS39 is not showing the presidential debate, though there are many other places to find it, including this Website, which will be live-streaming that event.

The two candidates met earlier this month in Palmer Township at a forum sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group.

That discussion highlighted differences the two men have over the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare, and job creation.

Dent said he would vote to repeal Obamacare, while Daugherty voiced his support for it.

Daugherty advocated suspending trade agreements and imposing tariffs on rule-breaking trade partners to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Dent emphasized reducing government debt and regulations to stimulate job creation.

Tempo InDepth this month is taping and airing candidates’ forums in races for a number of state House races in the Lehigh Valley.

PBS39 is also airing two live congressional candidates debates. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, the station will air a live debate between Democrat Matt Cartwright and Republican Laureen Cummings, the candidates in the 17th Congressional District, which includes much of Northampton County.