Student Government representatives are planning an on-campus State Candidate Forum for Oct. 26, which would bring together candidates for the state-wide elections Nov. 2.
The program was announced Tuesday in a broadcast e-mail from SG detailing several planned initiatives.
SG Vice President Dani Borel, who is in charge of planning the event, said the list of possible attendees includes Gov. Bobby Jindal, senatorial candidates David Vitter and Charlie Melancon and lieutenant governor candidates Jay Dardenne and Caroline Fayard.
Borel said most of the candidates have expressed interest in the event, but none have definitively committed.
She said the Candidate Forum is “on Jindal’s calendar,” but the governor needs to approve the event before it officially makes it onto his schedule.
Borel said Dardenne, a Republican who is currently Secretary of State, is “very interested” in attending, but he also has yet to officially schedule an appearance.
Borel said she has not discussed an appearance with Fayard, Dardenne’s Democratic opponent, but she plans to do so quickly.
Neither Vitter, the Republican incumbent, nor his challenger, Democratic U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon, have committed to the event, Borel said.
“We’re at their mercy,” she said.
Borel said it’s unlikely only one of the candidates would appear, as the other candidate would want to avoid being “shown up” by a competitor.
“Either we’re going to get both, or we’re not going to get either,” she said.
Borel said the event would be similar in format to the Faculty Senate-Chancellor Forum held last month. SG will take questions by e-mail at [email protected].  Officials will then select a few representative questions to ask the candidates, followed by time for students to ask their own questions directly.
“Our goal is not for them to debate each other,” Borel said. “It’s for students to ask questions of these important candidates.”
Borel said she anticipates most questions will be about higher education and the budget crisis.
SG has yet to settle on a location for the event, Borel said.
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Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]