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Texas State University, located in southwest Hays County, will host one of the four planned national Presidential Debates during the upcoming General Election in 2024.
Monday, Nov. 20, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse sent out a message to students, faculty and staff announcing the university as a site of one of the key opening moments in the election.
“I am proud to let you know that today the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Texas State University as the site of the September 16, 2024 general election debate in the University Events Center on our San Marcos Campus,” he stated, adding, “We are thrilled for this opportunity to be the first location in Texas to host a presidential debate. It is a fitting tribute to our legacy as the only university in Texas to graduate a U.S. president, Lyndon Baines Johnson. It also comes as we celebrate our 125th anniversary as an institution of higher learning, preparing generations of Bobcats to be engaged global citizens.”
He said this is an opportunity for both Texas State and the city of San Marcos “to shine on the international stage like never before, with hundreds of media outlets descending on our campus before and during the event.”
Damphousse said, in light of the announcement, he will be empowering a Debate Planning Task Force that will be set to both guide and “direct the execution of this monumental occasion.” He said that throughout December, the university will gain a better sense of what its role will be in the upcoming debate, as well as the requirements associated with hosting candidates and media.
'After we return from the holiday break in the new year, we will hold a university-wide forum to let you know what we have learned, our plans for moving forward and how we can work as a community to make this an incredible learning experience for our students while telling the world about TXST,” Damhousse added.
For students, he noted this will be a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity to personally engage with the democratic process.” He said that TXST alumnus and former chair of the TSUS Board of Regents Jack Martin of the Class of 1973 has agreed to chair the TXST Presidential Debate Committee which will coordinate fundraising efforts in connection to the debate.
It is likely that the economic windfall the debate will bring to Central Texas will be high both in terms of the international media community that will be coming but also in its considerable impact on hotels and other businesses.
The university is part of the Texas State University System, with campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock, which are both situated in one of the nation’s fastest-growing technology and innovation corridors along Interstate 35.
The university stated in a press release that it is partnering with the city of San Marcos to host the debate. In a release of their own, city of San Marcos officials stated: “We are excited about the prospect of hosting this esteemed event in our town. It will undoubtedly shine a spotlight on our beautiful community. We are dedicated to collaborating closely with the university to guarantee the flawless execution of this significant occasion.”
For additional information and updates on the presidential debate at TXST, visit debate. txst.edu.
