First Presidential Debate Topics Announced

President Obama shakes hands with moderator Jim Lehrer as former Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) looks on after taking part in the first of three presidential debates before the 2008 election on Sept. 26, 2008. Lehrer, who has presided over nearly a dozen presidential debates, recently announced the first debate topics for this years presidential debates. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jim Lehrer, host of “PBS NewsHour” and moderator for the first presidential debate, has announced the first debate topics.

The first debate, designated to be on domestic policy, will cover six topics: three on the economy and one each on health care, the role of government, and governing.

The order of topics has not been specified, and the topics may be subject to change with new developments.

Lehrer has presided over nearly a dozen presidential debates, including the September 2008 foreign policy and national security debate between President Barack Obama and presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and the 2004 presidential debate between President George W. Bush and presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

The first presidential debate this year will be held Wednesday, Oct. 3 at the University of Denver in Colorado.

The debate will begin at 9 p.m. and finish at 10:30 p.m., and the format for the debate calls for 15-minute time segments on each of the six topics. 

The second debate will be held Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., and the third will be held Monday, Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

Tickets for presidential debates are limited and controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates. All debates will be broadcast live on major television and cable news channels and streamed live online.

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