Plainfield voters can now know that they will have at least one opportunity to hear mayoral candidates Sharon Robinson-Briggs and Adrian O. Mapp face off in a public forum.
FOSH president Pat Turner Kavanaugh confirmed by email Tuesday that the forum originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, is formally firmed up and definitely ON. The forum will start promptly at 7:00 PM that evening in the Anne Louise Davis Meeting Room of the Plainfield Public Library.
The Plainfield chapter of the League of Women Voters has agreed to join with FOSH in sponsoring the forum. Candidate forums in the Primary election season are important for voters because the preponderance of Democratic registered votes in the community makes the winner of the Democratic Primary election tantamount to being the winner of the November general election.
Council member Adrian O. Mapp, who has the Democratic City Committee's endorsement, will face incumbent Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, who failed to get party endorsement for a third term and is running off the line.
Following League of Women Voters rules, only candidates in contested slots will take part in the forum, though if other candidates are present they will be acknowledged by the moderator. Dawn Clarke, who is state vice president of the LWV and has moderated several prior forums in Plainfield, will do the honors once again.
The other planned forum, initiated by Plainfield High School students is still up in the air. Through some communications glitch, the forum, originally scheduled for April 15, was canceled without notice. The students were eager to hold the forum during a school day in order to reach out to the significant number of students who are eligible to vote.
The Mapp campaign has reached out to both the Plainfield High School principal and the students' faculty adviser to try and get clarification on whether the student-sponsored forum will go ahead and if so, when.
I will post an update on that forum as soon as school district personnel get back to the campaign.
FOSH / LWV CANDIDATE FORUM
Wednesday, May 22
Wednesday, May 22
7:00 PM Sharp
Anne Louise Davis Meeting Room
Plainfield Public Library
8th Street at Park Avenue
Posts
6 comments:
Didn't the league previously bar candidates running off-line from participating in the debates?
The League only presents forums of candidates facing a challenge. If someone runs unopposed -- on or off the line -- they are not eligible for the forum.
Traditionally, the League does not offer forums in Primary elections, but rather in the November general election.
The Plainfield forum this month has the express approval of the state LWV, I have been told.
On second thought, I think it was some sham group of Sharon's backers that excluded off-line candidates....'Concerned Women for Plainfield' , or something like that...
8:53 am Anonymous: Dan is correct. LWV forums (debates) include any candidate in a contested race. ptk, Plainfield LWV secretary and president of FOSH...LWV meets tonight (1 May) at 6:30 pm at the Plainfield Public Library...please join us for tonight or the year
Hi, Dan,
Just to clarify LWV rules--this issue came up several years ago regarding "write-in" candidates, not those who are running off the regular organization lines. Candidates who are on the ballot have always been invited. Again, the question that came up with the league and candidates had to do with those who were writing in. Here is the language:
"After suggestions from the League of Women Voters of New Jersey (LWVNJ), the League of Women Voters of Plainfield will allow any citizen of Plainfield who is currently on the election ballot or a write-in candidate (who has an active campaign and is expected to receive at least 15% of the vote in the election) to participate in its election programs."
The complete list of rules for candidate forums is on the LWV-Plainfield's website under "Candidate Forum Rules."
Rebecca
We need to close the High School, and send the kids somewhere that will give them an education.
This incident exemplifies why we are at the bottom of the list for education. Pathetic!
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