Wright State pulls out of presidential debate

A Southwest Ohio college set to hold the first presidential debate of 2016 abruptly pulled out Friday, citing fears over security amid violence and attacks in Nice, Dallas and Baton Rouge.

Wright State University in Fairborn was scheduled to hold the first of three presidential debates Sept. 26. But the costs of keeping the campus safe proved too "daunting," said university president David R. Hopkins.

“We’re not building a fortress on campus,” Hopkins told The Enquirer.  “This was supposed to be an educational debate. The security issues were ramping out of control.”

Some faculty members said they wouldn’t go on campus the day of the debate for fear of an attack, Hopkins said.

He consulted with Wright State University’s security team, headed by the chief of police. The team members advised the costs to secure the campus during the debate would far exceed the $8 million maximum that the university budgeted for the event.

Private universities can restrict access to the public where public universities, such as Wright State, cannot.

“This is very hard to do,” Hopkins said. “My most important reason to have this was to have a wonderful experience for students.”

The debate will now be held at Hofstra University on Long Island, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. Hofstra, which hosted a presidential debate in 2012 as well, had agreed last year to be an alternate site, according to the commission.

In recent weeks police have been ambushed and killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge, while terror attacks inspired or directed by ISIS have rocked Orlando, San Bernardino and most recently Nice, France.

'Disappointing news' 

The move - lamented by Ohio Democrats and Republicans alike - came as Republicans gathered in Cleveland to nominate Donald Trump as their presidential candidate.

“It would be disappointing if we don’t have a debate in Ohio,” said Curt Hartman, a Cincinnati lawyer and delegate. “It would be important for Ohio, for Wright State to be a part of the process.”

“It’s just really disappointing news,” said David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. “I’m sure that my friends on the other side of the aisle agree. We were very excited to have it here. It was great for Wright State, and it was great for Ohio. I can’t second guess it.”

Pepper said he was disappointed the backup option was outside of Ohio. Still, “it’s not like we’ll be short of seeing the candidates.”

Wright State would likely have seen an overall boost if it had hosted the debate, even with the cost of security, Pepper said.

“I’m certainly not second-guessing the decision here,” he said. “But I think if you pull it off, you can get a lot of credit.”

Hamilton County Republican Chairman Alex Triantafilou said he didn't see it as a major loss. He noted Ohio has already hosted the first Republican presidential debate and this week's Republican National Convention, though both of those events were in Cleveland.

The debate would have been another way to highlight Ohio's importance in the November election; no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio.

“I think it was a great little narrative for Ohio,” said state Rep. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg.  “I’m sure they tried their best to get some money, but it’s difficult. All in all, I’m just sad that we had to do that.”

On having first GOP debate and RNC and first Clinton/Trump debate: “I think it was a great little narrative for Ohio,” Antani said. “Maybe another institution in Ohio will step up.”

Here is the university's full statement:

Wright State University has decided not to host the first general election presidential debate, citing mounting costs and security concerns.

The debate is scheduled for Sept. 26 and was to be held at the Wright State Nutter Center. It will now instead be held at Hofstra University in New York, which is the alternate site.

“This is a very difficult decision,” Wright State President David R. Hopkins said July 19. “But there has been a growing crescendo of concern about what it would take to guarantee the safety and security of the campus and the community. The expense would be daunting.”

Unlike private universities that have hosted debates in the past, Wright State cannot restrict public access to its campus, which adds to security challenges.

“We were fully aware of the challenges and were prepared to meet them when we decided to host the debate, but things have changed,” said Hopkins. “The current national environment has made security even more critical.”

The Wright State Board of Trustees fully supports Hopkins’ decision, said board Chair Michael Bridges.

“It’s the responsible thing to do,” said Bridges. “While the community has been overwhelmingly supportive of Wright State hosting the debate, the safety and security of the campus and community is of paramount importance.”

Hosting the debate was expected to cost Wright State between $3 million and $5 million and as much as $8 million. Hopkins said the costs of additional necessary security would add to the financial burden on the university.

“We have a responsibility to our community both safety-wise and financially to do the right thing,” said Hopkins.

Hopkins thanked students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the community, especially the host committee, who have been preparing to host the debate.

“They have worked tirelessly,” said Hopkins. “I can’t thank them enough for their efforts.”