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Article published Oct 1, 2004
Congressional debate set

JASON SPENCER
Staff Writer


Two Upstate congressional hopefuls will face off at least once, in a live televised debate Saturday night.Call it a proving ground for political novice Brandon Brown, a funeral home executive from Taylors. Brown, a Democrat, must work overtime in the uphill battle that is the 4th Congressional District -- typically a sure thing for Republicans.Enter his opponent, Greenville attorney Bob Inglis, a conservative political fixture who wants to regain his former seat. Inglis, a Republican, has shied away from his stance once-upon-a-time regarding term limits. He wants to add to the six years in Congress already under his belt.The debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. Saturday on WYFF-TV Channel 4. The public will not be allowed in the studio. Expect health care and trade agreements to be chances for the candidates to distinguish themselves.The 4th Congressional District covers 358,171 registered voters across four counties -- Greenville, Spartanburg, Laurens and Union.Nearly 43 percent of the voters here are between ages 22 and 44. Less than 4 percent of voters are 21 and younger, while about 18 percent are age 65 and older. The district is predominantly white, with slightly more female voters than male.The League of Women Voters in Greenville is sponsoring Saturday's debate. Details about a possible second Inglis-Brown exchange next week were unavailable at press time.Green Party candidate Faye Walters also is running in the 4th Congressional District.Jason Spencer can be reached at 562-7214, or jason.spencer@shj.com.