April 1, 2015 Update

Apr 1, 2015


The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is committed to sponsoring and producing general election debates in 2016 that fulfill its voter education mission. These debates offer the only opportunity for the nation to hear the leading candidates answer the same questions on critical issues.

Since its inception in 1987, the CPD has incorporated innovations that improve the educational value of the debates. Single moderators, expanded time frames for discussion, and other steps reflect the CPD’s ongoing efforts to ensure that each debate focuses maximum time on the candidates and their views.

As it has done in the past, in planning for 2016, the CPD will seek input on various elements of the debates, including the criteria used to determine who will be invited to debate, what formats will be used, and ways to enhance these civic forums. The CPD board will soon announce a transparent online process for receiving and reviewing submissions from any organization or individual who wishes to share their ideas. We have already received a number of proposals from interested groups and look forward to further study those and other initiatives.

Howard G. Buffett, Chairman and CEO, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation
John C. Danforth, Former U.S. Senator
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., President, Purdue University
Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., Former President and CEO, American Gaming Association
Charles Gibson, Former Anchor, ABC World News with Charles Gibson
John Griffen, Managing Director, Allen & Company LLC
Jane Harman, Director, President and CEO, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Antonia Hernandez, President and CEO, California Community Foundation
Reverend John I. Jenkins, President, University of Notre Dame
Michael D. McCurry, Partner, Public Strategies Washington, Inc.
Newton N. Minow, Senior Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP
Leon E. Panetta, Chairman, Panetta Institute for Public Policy
Richard D. Parsons, Senior Advisor, Providence Equity Partners LLC
Dorothy S. Ridings, Former President, League of Women Voters of the United States
Alan K. Simpson, Former U.S. Senator
Olympia Snowe, Former U.S. Senator
Shirley M. Tilghman, Former President, Princeton University

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