MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT's local public affairs program "The Cities with Jim Mertens" will air a 3-½ hour special on Sunday, November 4th at 2:30 pm that takes a look at the local political contests being voted on this coming Tuesday.
"Since early September we have been talking with the political candidates on both sides of the river," said Mertens. The special features commentary by former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert and Steve Grubbs, former Iowa state representative and former Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.
The candidates interviewed in the first hour include Neil Anderson (R) and Pat Verschoore (D) running for the Illinois 72nd House District and John Archer (R) challenger for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. In the second hour incumbent Dave Loebsack (D) from Iowa's 2nd Congressional District along with Rich Morthland (R) and Mike Smiddy (D) competing for the Illinois 71st House District and Shawn Hammerlinck (R) and Chris Brase (D) for Iowa's 42nd Senate District. The third hour and a half features Bill Albracht (R), the candidate for the Illinois 36th State Senate District opposite Mike Jacobs (D) (not interviewed) and Cheri Bustos (D) and Bobby Schilling (R) who are vying for the 17th Illinois Congressional District will finish the program. Each candidate's full interview is also available by logging on to www.wqpt.org/thecities/.
"The Cities with Jim Mertens" begins its third year on Thanksgiving. It is the only local public affairs television program airing in the greater Quad Cities area. WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.
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