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Benedictine to host GOP gubernatorial debate March 6

Benedictine University will host the final debate prior to the 2014 primary featuring the Republican candidates running for governor.

The university has invited the four candidates — state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford, and Bruce Rauner, chairman of R8 Capital Partners and former chairman of the private equity firm GTCR — who are vying to run against incumbent Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn in November. Voters on Tuesday, March 18, will choose the Republican nominee.

The debate will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Dan and Ada Rice Center on campus, 5700 College Road, Lisle. Tickets are required, and a limited number of free tickets may be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting ccl@ben.edu or Priya Roberts at (630) 829-6460. Tickets must be acquired in advance and will not be issued at the door.

WIND-AM 560 “The Answer,” which is co-sponsoring the debate with Benedictine University, will air a live broadcast featuring former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh from 5 to 7 p.m. leading up to the debate. A one-hour post-debate show is scheduled from 9 to 10 p.m.

The nonpartisan Center for Civic Leadership at Benedictine University seeks to shape a new generation of leaders and responsible citizens. The CCL regularly invites prominent figures to speak on campus to involve and engage students and the community in multiple issues and topics of public concern.

In recent years, the university has hosted former Republican National Committee chairman and current MSNBC political analyst Michael Steele, Democratic strategist and former President Obama adviser David Axelrod, and Children’s Defense Fund founder and President Marian Wright Edelman.

Each spring, the CCL has Youth Government Day for area high school and community college students to learn more about the importance of government by examining some of the most pressing political issues affecting their country, their state and their community. Last year, students explored political corruption in Illinois. In 2012, they observed mock Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party rallies.

To learn about more upcoming speakers and events sponsored by the CCL, visit ben.edu/ccl.

If you go

What: Debate of Republican candidates for governor

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6

Where: Dan and Ada Rice Center on the campus of Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle

Cost: Free

Tickets: Limited availability, must be reserved in advance; ccl@ben.edu or (630) 829-6460

Info: ben.edu/ccl

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