On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the Chipley, Florida Kiwanis Club featured a political forum between candidates for the offices of Supervisor of Elections, Superintendent of Schools and County Commission District 5.
These Kiwanis-sponsored debates have been held every two years for the past dozen years in Pattillo’s Restaurant on the campus of Florida Panhandle Technical College prior to the Primary and General Elections, and have enjoyed participation by all candidates, along with a wide viewership online, in social media and other news sources.
Scheduled from Noon to 2PM on each of two Tuesdays in July, the debates feature an open forum, moderated by Kiwanis President Tracy Andrews, allowing aspirants for the offices to answer questions posed by the public and the club membership, and the public is encouraged to submit questions they would like addressed.
The 2-hour segment on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 featured three 30-minute forums between candidates in three political races, and due to CDC regulations and Florida State recommendations of social distancing, there was not a large live audience in attendance.
The forums were taped and will be broadcast on social media, as well as made available to news gatherers, broadcast media and print newspapers for re-broadcast, in order for the public to be able to view the proceedings and ‘virtually’ attend the meetings.
Several local news gatherers, including TV stations, print outlet and online news sources, have indicated their participation in carrying the audio and video portions of the forum.
In the past, these Kiwanis Club Forums have enjoyed one hundred percent participation, but on Tuesday, Supervisor of Elections candidates Carol Rudd and Chris Hyatt did not participate.
Corey Odom, the only candidate for Supervisor of Elections to attend, used the 30 minutes available to her to impress the crowd, while the Superintendent of Schools race candidates Joe Taylor and Martha Compton, and Washington County Commission District 5 race candidates Steve Joyner and Lynn Gothard participated in their respective portions.
Tracy Andrews, President of the Chipley, Florida Kiwanis Club, expressed her appreciation for those who did participate, and mentioned that she was quite impressed by what she heard.
On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, candidates for Washington County School Board District 2 Lou Cleveland and Jerry Harrell, Washington County Commissioner District 1 candidates Alan Bush and Travis Hall, and candidates for Washington County Clerk of Court Lora Bell and Stephanie Blankenship will go head-to-head.
The event is held at Pattillo’s Restaurant on the campus of Florida Panhandle Technical College, and although seating is limited and the club intends to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines, news agencies are encouraged to attend.
For more information or to submit questions for the candidates, please contact Tracy Andrews, President of Chipley Kiwanis Club, at tlandrews1@gmail.com or call 850-326-9359.
