INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV will host the first live, televised debate of the 2023 Indianapolis mayoral campaign.

DuJuan McCoy, Owner, President, and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting (parent company of WISH-TV), announced the agreement Tuesday afternoon.

Joe Hogsett, the Democratic candidate, and Jefferson Shreve, the Republican candidate, have agreed to a one-hour debate live on Monday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. The debate will be hosted at the WISH-TV studios and air live on WISH-TV, WISHTV.com and the company’s Statewide Television News Network.

“When I came home to own WISH-TV in 2019, my goal was to positively impact this community in many ways,” McCoy said. “I know firsthand how important local politics is to each community and the importance of creating a connection with our servant leaders and the communities that they serve.”

The Oct. 23 event will be the first live, hour-long mayoral debate on television in Indianapolis in nearly 20 years.

“Our debate will give the Indianapolis community their opportunity to witness ‘live’ our two mayoral candidates debate the issues that are important to them,” McCoy said. “This historic debate is the second time WISH-TV has led the market on major political events, when we were the only TV station to air live the Republican and Democratic state conventions during the pandemic.”

Hogsett is seeking a third term as mayor of Indianapolis. Shreve, a businessman who has previously served on the City-County Council, won the Republican primary in May.

Members of News 8’s award-winning news team will serve as moderators, including Phil Sanchez, main evening anchor and host of “All INdiana Politics,” and Katiera Winfrey, Indianapolis’ only full-time Multicultural television reporter as well as questions from I-Team 8 Senior Investigative reporter Richard Essex and the community.

The debate will include a wide variety of topics that impact Indianapolis with no questions off-limits.