Jackson commission candidates to debate at SCC

Candidates for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will face off during a livestreamed debate at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24. 

Southwestern Community College students in Dr. Bucky Dann’s Social Problems class will research the issues and devise questions to pose the candidates for two open seats on the board. 

SCC has invited District 3 candidates Susan Bogardus and Tom Stribling as well as District 4 candidates Mark Letson and Mark Jones to participate in the debate. The District 3 race also includes one write-in candidate, Chad Jones, but he will not appear in the debate. 

COVID-19 continues to restrict attendance at indoor gatherings, so the debate will be available online at www.livestream.com/southwesterncc/jccdebate2020.

SCC previously hosted a debate for N.C. 11 candidates Moe Davis and Madison Cawthorn. Future debates include N.C. House District 119 candidates Mike Clampitt and Joe Sam Queen on Oct. 8 and N.C. Senate District 50 candidates Victoria Fox and Kevin Corbin on Oct. 22. Both debates will take place at 7 p.m.

House 120 candidates to debate online

Western North Carolina voters are invited to participate in the first-ever online candidate forum featuring two candidates who are running to represent House District 120 in the North Carolina General Assembly:  Karl Gillespie (R) of Franklin and Susan Landis (D) of Murphy.

The forum will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 22. This online candidate forum is co-sponsored by the Public Policy Network of western North Carolina and north Georgia (PPN), in concert with Mountain True and the Hinton Center. Emcee for this event is Hayesville’s own Harry Baughn, host of “Mountain Mornings” on WJRB 95.1 and WJUL 97.7 radio stations.

Candidates will have the opportunity to share their views on many issues that are critical to the voters in District 120, including access to health care; financial security (jobs, affordable housing and economic development), and the environment. 

Please plan to join the forum via Zoom to hear these candidates make their case for why they would be the best choice to represent the residents of western NC in the House of Representatives. 

The ZOOM Log-In information for the NC House District 120 Candidate Forum will be posted on both the PPN and Mountain True websites (www.publicpolicynetwork.net or (www.mountaintrue.org) on Tuesday morning, Sept. 22.