Monday marks an important milestone in the 2012 presidential calendar. Republicans will gather in Manchester, N.H., for a presidential debate at Saint Anselm College — the opening debate in the Granite State, home of the first-in-the-nation primary.

Heritage will be on hand for the event, reporting on the issues that matter to conservatives. Before the candidates take the stage, we’ll set the tone at a luncheon with two other independent, non-partisan organizations: Americans for Prosperity’s New Hampshire chapter and the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy.

CNN correspondent Tom Foreman will moderate the event, featuring Heritage’s Mike Franc, vice president of government studies, Josiah Bartlett Center President Charles Arlinghaus and Corey Lewandowski, New Hampshire state director for Americans for Prosperity. Panelists will discuss what conservatives want to hear in the debate later that evening.

The event, which begins at 12:30 p.m. at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, is open to press and public. Click here to register.