Debate to bring state issues to Southeast coast

While the bid for Democratic and Republican spots for the next president of the United States has dominated national media, local voters also have some important races to decide this May much closer to home.

In addition to determining who’ll be on the November ballot for county commissioner, school board and other races, Brunswick County voters will have the chance to select nominees for North Carolina’s next governor.

To help area residents learn more about candidates and their positions on the issues, The Brunswick Beacon has joined together with The Big Talker News/Talk Radio, Cape Fear Community College, WWAY 3, The Pender Post, News Radio 570 and others to sponsor a governors’ candidates forum.

Related events will begin at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, April 17. The forum will begin around 6 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. It will be at the Schwartz Center at Cape Fear Community College.

Over the last several weeks, The Brunswick Beacon has been soliciting questions from the community. We want to know what you think are the most pressing issues facing the state and this region. We want to know what you want to ask the candidates.

If you haven’t submitted questions yet, there is still time. You can e-mail questions to staff writer Caroline Curran at ccurran@brunswickbeacon.com. Curran will be the Beacon’s representative at the event.

During the 5 p.m. hour, attendees will have a chance to get up close with the candidates during a meet-and-greet session in the Schwartz Center lobby.

Republican candidates will have the chance to go first, each being given about 2.5 minutes to make an opening statement, following by questions from moderators. After a short break, the audience will be given a chance to ask questions. The process will repeat for any Democratic candidates who attend.

Debate panelists include: Curtis Wright, host of The Morning Beat on The Big Talker FM; Steve Rondinaro, senior anchor for WWAY News Channel 3; Autumn McGimsey, political science professor, Cape Fear Community College; and Greg Arey, political science professor, Cape Fear Community College.

It’s a rare occasion when gubernatorial candidates visit the southeastern part of the state. We hope this forum, and the community’s response to it, will draw attention to this area and remind candidates we are an important part of drawing votes in this election.

We encourage all of you to attend the event, but if you can’t be there, be sure to tune in to The Big Talker FM, 93.7 and 106.3 FM. The debate will be broadcast live.

WWAY will also air the debate several times before the May 6 primary. And, of course, the Beacon will recap the night’s events in the next print edition. Also check online for updates.