Ohio's Wright State University has decided it's not up for hosting the first presidential debate of the general election cycle after all. Though the university was already committed to hosting the Sept. 26 debate, the university's president, David Hopkins, announced at a news conference Tuesday that it has since asked to be released from the obligation due to cost and safety concerns.
"This has been a very difficult decision to make but I am confident that it is the right one for Wright State University at this point in time. Wright State has a responsibility for the safety and well-being of those on its campus and in the surrounding area. We all take this responsibility very seriously," Hopkins said at the news conference. "Over the last few weeks we have had a growing concern over what it would take to guarantee the safety and security of our campus."
To sufficiently manage those heightened concerns, Dayton Daily News reported the university would've faced as much as $8 million in costs; Wright State had initially expected to spend only around $3.5 million. "We cannot afford, as a university that's trying to manage our budget as fiscally sound, to take on these costs," Hopkins said.
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The debate has been moved to Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Hofstra hosted a presidential debate in 2012, and was named as a potential backup debate venue for this election cycle back in September 2015. In an announcement posted on its website, the Commission on Presidential Debates said it "very much appreciates Wright State's efforts" and "looks forward to working with Hofstra once again."
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