For U.S. House candidates Chet Edwards, D-Waco, and Bryan’s Bill Flores, today’s televised debate presents a late chance to press a point or put each other on the spot.

The debate — sponsored by the Waco Tribune-Herald , KXXV-TV Channel 25 and KRHD-TV Channel 40 in Bryan — will air live from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Waco and Bryan College-Station areas. It will also be streamed live on www.kxxv.com.

Panelists for the debate are KXXV anchor Ann Harder, KRHD anchor Elizabeth O’Neal and Tribune-Herald senior editor Bill Whitaker.

The debate between Bill Flores (left) and Chet Edwards will air live on Channel 25 tonight at 6.

“We’re very pleased both candidates agreed to take questions in a live debate format,” Whitaker said.

“The public really loses out when candidates duck debates or the media fails to provide for such debates,” he added. “Especially in races as significant and pivotal as this one.”

Flores, a Republican and retired oil executive, is challenging Edwards, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, who is running for his 11th term.

The district stretches from Bryan, through Waco and up to Fort Worth’s southern suburbs.

In September, Edwards challenged Flores to participate in 12 debates — one for each of the counties that make up the 17th Congressional District. He has since chided Flores for not agreeing to a debate on the Texas A&M University campus.

Flores fired back, criticizing Edwards for not holding town hall meetings in the general election. His campaign manager and spokesman, Matt Mackowiak, said the format for the proposed A&M debate was too narrowly focused on the issue of education.

An official at the university’s Memorial Student Center, which attempted to organize the event, disputed that account, describing Flores as reluctant to debate in the campus paper, the Battalion.

Both candidates committed to appear at a candidate forum in Brazos County shortly after the Waco debate.

The forum — sponsored by the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce and WTAW News Talk 1620 — is scheduled for 6:30 p.m Monday at the Briarcrest Country Club in Bryan.

It will be broadcast on WTAW and be streamed live on the website of KBTX-TV in Bryan at www.kbtx.com.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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