The Washington County Republican Women are hosting a debate between Republican senate candiates including incumbent Senator Orrin Hatch, state Representative Chris Herrod and for state Senator Dan Lillenquist. The event free to the public will be held Monday, April 16 at 7:00PM at the Gardner Center on the campus of Dixie State College in St. George. The debate will also be televised on Dixie College's Community Education Channel, Baja cable channel 22 and video streamed "Live" at www.dixie.edu/live/.

The event is the second of two debates between these candidates prior to the nominating convention of the Utah Republican Party to be held the following Saturday, April 21. Candidates must win 60 percent of delegate votes to advance to the general election. If no single candidate emerges victorious from the convention, the top two candidates will participate in a primary.

The Deseret News reports that Hatch is up for his seventh, and according to the Senator, should he win, final term. Liljenquist, a Tea Party favorite, appears to be Hatch's chief rival. Hatch won an early victory when during the March 15 Republican caucuses his supporters won three delegate spots to represent Liljenquist's former home district of Davis County.

Other notable republican candidates include former business manager and current radio talk show host Tim Aalders, Dale Ash, a retired businessman, Arlan Bruson and Kevin Fisk, both small business owners and Jeremy Friedbaum, a harp maker and erstwhile Senatorial candidate.