Leadership Roswell to Host Two-Day Candidate Forum

The Leadership Roswell Alumni Association candidate forum will be held on May 5 and 6 at 6:30 PM at the First Baptist Church, 500 N. Pennsylvania Avenue in Roswell. On May 5th the 2nd CD congressional candidates will answer questions, and on May 6th the two Republican candidates in State Senate District 33 (Rod Adair vs. Rory McMinn) and State House District 57 primaries (Dan Foley vs. Dennis Kintigh), respectively, will answer questions. Candidates in other local races will also be participating.

The candidates will answer questions prepared by the forum's committee they haven't seen ahead of time, taking turns on who answers first, and be granted two minutes each to answer. According to an article about the two-day forum in the Roswell Daily Record:

"Our ultimate goal is to educate the community so that when they go to vote they can make a knowledgeable choice on the ballot," said Rick Kraft executive director of Leadership Roswell. Kraft will participate as moderator for the forum.

"This is only the second time we've held a primary forum," he said. "With so many contested positions this year, we felt it would be a real service to the community."

This forum will mark the organization's 22nd candidate forum, said Toni Hall, chair of the Leadership Roswell Alumni Association Candidate Forum Committee.

"We're expecting excellent participation," she said.

Although candidates in uncontested primaries were not invited to participate in the primary forum, they are asked to participate in the general election forum to be held this fall, Hall said.

Seeking nomination for the 2nd Congressional seat, Democrats Bill McCamley and Harry Teague, along with Republicans Edward Tinsley, Monty Newman, Earl Greer and Greg Sowards, will participate in the forum on May 5. Republican candidate Aubrey Dunn will not be able to attend.

Seeking election to the position of district attorney for the 5th Judicial District, Republicans Janetta Hicks, and incumbent Terry Haake will also participate in the May 5 forum.

Republican candidates for state representative in District 57, Dennis Kintigh and incumbent Rep. Dan Foley, will participate in the May 6 forum, along with Republican candidates seeking the state senator position in District 33, incumbent Sen. Rod Adair and Rory McMinn.

Republican candidates for County Commission in Districts 2, 3 and 4, along with those seeking the county treasurer position, will also participate on May 6.

From District 2, Dr. Doug Gillies and Dale Haverland will be present. Kim Chesser will not be attending the forum. In District 3, incumbent Alice Eppers and opponent Kyle "Smiley" Wooton will be present, along with District 4 candidates, incumbent Richard Taylor and George Aho.

Republican candidates for county treasurer Steven C. Harris, Steve J. Staeden Jr. and Dara Dana will all participate.

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