Two political heavyweights will go head to head in this year’s Great Debate on Wednesday, April 26. Former democratic Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and former republican New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte will participate in a debate in the topic of “American Politics: Where We Are and Where We Should Go.”

Previous Great Debates have put former presidential advisers Karl Rove and Paul Begala and former United States Representatives Ron Paul and Barney Frank up against each other.

O’Malley was the 61st Governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015 as well as the Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He broke onto the national stage during the 2016 presidential election but suspended his bid for the democratic nomination after the Iowa caucus last February. In June 2016, O’Malley endorsed Hillary Clinton for President.

Ayotte was a United States Senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. Before that, she was the first and only woman to serve as New Hampshire’s Attorney General from 2004 to 2009. During the 2016 election, Ayotte lost her bid for reelection to former democratic New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan. Ayotte graduated from Penn State in 1990 and served as the former President of the Panhellenic Council.

This year’s debate is hosted by the Penn State College Democrats and College Republicans and sponsored by the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, the College of the Liberal Arts, Schreyer Honors College, Student Affairs, the Department of Political Science, UPAC, UPUA, and GPSA.

Students will be able to pick up free tickets Friday, April 21, Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, April 26 on the ground floor of the HUB or from Friday to Wednesday in room 310/311 HUB. The debate will be moderated by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy in 100 Thomas at 8:00 pm.