A panel from Illinois State University’s Department of Politics and Government will present “Explaining the Trump Candidacy: What the Republican Primary Tells Us” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, in Schroeder Hall, room 242.

The presentation is free and open to public.

The panel discussion will explore the entire Republican primary elections, especially the rise of the billionaire businessman Donald Trump as the front-runner. Panelists will be assistant professors Kerri Milita, Carl Palmer, and LJ Zigerell. The panel will be moderated by Assistant Professor Meghan Leonard.

Milita is an assistant professor of political science and her research interests are direct democracy, election laws, and candidate position-taking.

Palmer is an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Government. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and his work focuses on how factors, such as social identity and stereotypes, affect how citizens perceive the political and social world. His research has previously appeared in American Politics Research and The Journal of Politics.

LJ Zigerell is an assistant professor of politics and government. He defended a dissertation on U.S. Supreme Court nominations at the University of Pittsburgh, and his current research interests include race and sex bias and reproductions.

Leonard is an assistant professor of political science with expertise in judicial politics, state politics, and American politics.