HAYS, Kansas -- Voters in and near Hays will get to meet the candidates and hear their views on the issues during a First U.S. Congressional District forum at 7 p.m. Monday, April 26, on the campus of Fort Hays State University.

The FHSU Chapter of the Collegiate Farm Bureau, the American Democracy Project, the FHSU Young Democrats, the FHSU College Republicans and the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce will host the forum in the Fort Hays Ballroom at the FHSU Memorial Union. The candidate forum will be televised live on Smoky Hills Public Television and on KFHS-TV.

Because of the number of candidates, the event will be in conducted as a forum rather than a debate. Candidates will respond to questions that have been drafted by the sponsoring organizations but will not be allowed to direct questions to each other. If time allows, the candidates will also receive questions from the audience.

All of the candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives from the First District have been invited to participate: Jim Barnett, Emporia; Sue Boldra, Hays; Marck Cobb, Galva; Tim Huelskamp, Fowler; Alan Jilka, Salina; Tracey Mann, Salina; Monte Shadwick, Salina; and Rob Wasinger, Hays.

The Kansas First District is among the largest geographically in the country. It is larger than 25 states and is roughly the size of Illinois. The First District covers more than 57,000 of Kansas' 82,000 square miles and consists of 69 counties in central and western Kansas characterized by rural values of hard work and community.

The following counties are part of the First District: Barber, Barton, Chase, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Comanche, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington and Wichita.