Crowley Named Presidential Debate Moderator, First Woman in Two Decades

In an announcement Monday by the Commission on Presidential Debates, CNN chief political correspondent and anchor Candy Crowley was named as moderator of the second of the 2012 general election presidential debates. Her selection as moderator makes her the first woman in two decades to be chosen for this prestigious role.

Crowley will moderate the only town hall-style presidential debate between President Barack Obama and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The debate will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 16 on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY.  The town hall debate will be the only format that allows undecided voters to ask questions of the candidates directly on foreign policy and domestic issues.

“As someone who is in awe and grateful every day  to be  in a country where freedom of the press, free speech and free elections are a way of life, I am wowed, amazed and excited by the opportunity to moderate a 2012 presidential debate,” said Crowley. “Congratulations are in order as well to Martha, Jim and Bob.  I am so proud to be in their company.”

“Candy’s brand of political reporting makes her the perfect choice for this role. Her special style of storytelling brilliantly connects what’s happening on the campaign trail to America’s voters,” said Sam Feist, Washington bureau chief.  “We’re so proud that one of our own has been selected for this high honor.”

Crowley came to CNN in 1987 after serving in various reporting roles at NBC News and the Associated Press. She took the anchor chair of State of the Union with Candy Crowley, the network’s Sunday morning political hour of newsmaker interviews, in February 2010. In her role as chief political correspondent, Crowley covers a broad range of stories, including presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races and major legislative developments on Capitol Hill.  Her assignments have taken her to all 50 states and around the world.

In her career, Crowley has covered the presidential campaigns of Pat Buchanan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Bob Dole, Jesse Jackson, Edward Kennedy, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney, among others. Since the presidential nomination of Jimmy Carter, she has covered all but one of the national political conventions.

Candy earned a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. Follow Candy on Twitter @CrowleyCNN.

A downloadable photo of Candy Crowley may be found here (Photo credit: Edward M. Pio Roda / CNN):
http://imageselect.turner.com/download/downloadimages.aspx?id=7f970d93-ccd8-48bb-b644-e03a1333500b.

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