COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was established in 1987 to ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that general election debates between or among the leading candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States are a permanent part of the electoral process. CPD’s primary purpose is to sponsor and produce the quadrennial general election debates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) corporation, sponsored all the presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

2004 Presidential Debates Venues

September 30, 2004 First Presidential Debate, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL | Viewership: 62.4 million | George W. Bush (R), President and John F. Kerry (D), United States Senator (MA)

October 5, 2004 Vice Presidential Debate, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH | Viewership: 43.5 million | Dick Cheney (R), Vice President and John Edwards (D), United States Senator (NC)

October 8, 2004 Second Presidential Debate, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO | Viewership: 46.7 million | George W. Bush (R), President and John F. Kerry (D), United States Senator (MA)

October 13, 2004 Third Presidential Debate, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ | Viewership: 51.1 million | George W. Bush (R), President and John F. Kerry (D), United States Senator (MA)

(Data provided by Nielsen Media Research)