Published: March 06, 2008 11:06 pm            

Forums to offer voters insight on candidates

A series of public forums will offer voters a chance to sort through the 23 contenders battling for three state House positions.

Candidates for the 69th, 71st and 72nd districts are invited to discuss their qualifications and platforms at three political forums hosted by The Tribune-Democrat and WJAC-TV. They also will have the chance to answer questions from the media and forum attendees.

“The residents of our region face very important decisions in the upcoming election,” Tribune-Democrat Editor Chip Minemyer said. “By 2009, we will have three new state legislators representing our communities in Harrisburg. We wanted to give the voters another opportunity to meet the candidates before the April 22 primary so that they can make informed decisions – and we wanted to give these candidates another opportunity to get their messages out to voters.”

Minemyer thanked the cooperating school districts and co-sponsor WJAC-TV for making the event possible, but he said the key to the events’ success will be attendance by readers and viewers.

“That is what would make the forums successful,” he said.

WJAC-TV News Director Pamela Dennis said voters need the chance to get to know the people asking for a vote, especially with so many in the ring.

“We have three different races with brand-new candidates for the first time in so many years,” she said. “We felt it was really important to give voters a chance to meet these people.”

“You should know who you are voting for,” agreed John Vatavuk, Somerset County Democratic Party chairman and a county commissioner. “You can get a good feel for what they are like and what they are all about (by attending).”

Somerset County Republican Party Chairman Bob Bastian, one of the retiring representatives, said: “That is the way you make an informed vote. It is the responsibility of the voter – you need to have the information.”



If you go

Political forums have been scheduled this spring for three open state House races.

69th district: 7 p.m. March 26, Somerset Area High School auditorium.

71st district: 7 p.m. April 2, Richland High School auditorium.

72nd district: 7 p.m. April 3, Windber High School auditorium.

        

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