Editorial: Tuesday night’s candidates forum presents a great learning opportunity

Published 6:30 pm Monday, April 23, 2018

If you don’t know much about the candidates in the two local contested races in the Republican primary on May 22, your education can begin Tuesday night.

The Daily Citizen-News hosts a candidates forum from 6 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Southeast Whitfield High School (1954 Riverbend Road). The forum is free and open to the public.

Four candidates have told us they will attend. Chuck Payne (incumbent) and Scott Tidwell are the Republicans seeking the District 54 state Senate seat while Mike Cowan and Barry Robbins (incumbent) are the Republicans vying for the District 1 seat on the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners.

The winner of the District 54 state Senate GOP primary faces Democrat Michael S. Morgan in the Nov. 6 general election. There is no Democratic opposition in the board of commissioners race, so the primary winner is expected to win the seat.

You’ve probably seen their campaign signs dotting open spaces throughout the county or may have caught a social media post. The forum offers more personal insight into the candidates’ views on the issues of the day. Newspaper editors and reporters will ask questions they prepared. The audience will be allowed to ask the candidates questions. And you might have the opportunity to introduce yourself to the candidates.

Remember that early voting starts Monday, April 30. As the May 22 primary nears, the Daily Citizen-News will publish profiles on the four candidates so you can learn even more about them.

We encourage all voters — no matter your political affiliation — to attend the forum. It’s a commitment of a few hours on a weeknight, but it can go a long way in determining the future of our county and state.