FORT MADISON - Area voters will have a chance to hear candidates’ views on an array of topics at three upcoming forums – the first of which will be held Thursday, Sept 26.
Mississippi Valley Publishing (MVP), Pen City Current, and the Southeast Iowa League of Women Voters (LWV) have joined forces to coordinate and sponsor the forums.
All three will take place at the Lee County Career Advantage Center at 2495 280th St., Montrose.
The first, set for 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, is for state candidates Nannette Griffin, Jeff Reichman, Nicholas Atwood, Martin Graber, Jim Beres, and Matt Rinker.
The second forum will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, and is for those seeking seats on the Lee County Board of Supervisors (Ron Fedler, Denise Fraise, Joey Herren, Teresa Murray, Garry Seyb, James Steffen, Ginger Knisley, and Matt Pflug).
And the third, for Lee County Sheriff candidates Stacy Weber and Elliott Vandenberg, and Lee County Auditor candidates Roslyn Garcia and Sherri Yasenchock, will be held 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.
“One of the basic tenets of the LWV is to educate voters. To reach that goal, the LWV works with partners to provide citizens with opportunities to learn about a candidate's platform, to hear their views on a variety of topics, and their goals for making Iowa a better place to live. Forums provide that space, and give voters the opportunity to decide which candidate they feel is best for the office,” said LWV representative Martha Wolf.
While the three sponsors have contributed to the vast list of questions that will be put to candidates, they have reached out to others involved in education, government, and economic development to see that virtually every major issue pertaining to the specific office is covered.s
Co-organizer Chuck Vandenberg said the format allows more freedom for candidates.
“We believe we’ve come up with a format that is more favorable to candidates while keeping the discussion engaged and compelling. These forums are for voters and we appreciate the candidates who agreed to take part,” Vandenberg said. “We’re partnering with Radio Keokuk, former Mississippi Valley Publishing Publisher Mark Smidt, and area economic development officials who have agreed to moderate the forums.”
MVP Managing Editor Robin Delaney, who has sponsored numerous forums over the years, agrees that this format will be more interesting and give voters more insight into the candidates’ views than the traditional format used in the past.
“I honestly can’t think of a main issue on the state and county level that is not included in this list. Attendees will be able to tell that the questions were drafted by several entities over the last few weeks.”
It should be noted that some candidates have told sponsors they do not plan to attend. Some have said they do not see merit in participating, while others wanted to dictate the questions and format.
“When candidates don’t attend, in my opinion, it marks the beginning of the end,” Vandenberg said. “That’s putting power over people. Not only is it our right and privilege to weigh the validity of all candidates on a ballot, it’s our responsibility. The candidates themselves need to respect that and engage with voters. If you can’t do that, what’s the vote worth?”
Delaney said several attempts were made to persuade these candidates to reconsider, but were unsuccessful.
“All we (the media and LWV) can do is provide the opportunity for both voters and candidates, which we are doing,” Delaney added. “If candidates do not seize that opportunity and, in my opinion, fulfill their obligation to those they hope to become their constituents, that says a lot. If someone can’t show up for me at a forum, why should I trust them to show up for me at the state capitol?”
A zoom link for the forums has been set up and can be reached through the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88931285132.
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