Early voting begins next Friday, July 15. Are you ready?
To help voters make an informed decision when they visit the polls, the Southern Standard is holding a political forum this Tuesday night. The forum, held in conjunction with public radio WCPI, is for candidates in contested primaries. It will be held at Warren County Administrative Offices beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Candidates for Congress, Tennessee House, and Tennessee Senate have been asked to attend.
“We realize it’s often difficult for candidates to get their message out to voters, especially candidates campaigning in several counties,” said Standard publisher Patricia Zechman. “This forum is a great way to hear from a number of candidates in one night, at one location.”
Four candidates for the U.S. 4th District House of Representatives seat currently held by Scott DesJarlais have been invited. The four are vying for the Republican nomination. In addition to DesJarlais, invitations have been extended to Fapas Faparusi, Erran Persley, and Grant Starrett.
In the battle for the 16th District Tennessee Senate seat currently held by Janice Bowling, the incumbent has indicated she will not be in attendance due to a previously scheduled event. Her opponent in the GOP primary, Michael Shane Wilcher, says he plans to attend.
In the Democratic primary for that 16th District Senate seat, both candidates have confirmed they will be in attendance. They are Alice Demtreon and Mike Winton.
In the race for the 47th District Tennessee House seat held by Judd Matheny, he is facing two opponents in the GOP primary. Matheny, Will Lockhart and Steve R. Lynn have all been invited.
For the 43rd District Tennessee House seat held by Kevin Dunlap, he faces no opposition in the Democratic primary. However, three Republican opponents are fighting for the right to face Dunlap in the election in November. The three GOP hopefuls, Sam Elder, Robert “Bob” Robinson, and Paul Sherrell have all been invited.
Candidates will be allowed to make an opening statement before being asked general questions about state or federal government. They will then be allowed to make closing remarks.