On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the Chipley, Florida Kiwanis Club will feature a political forum between candidates for the offices of Washington County Clerk of Court, School Board Member District 2 and County Commission District 1.
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.
Each 2-hour segment features three 30-minute forums between candidates in each of the six political races, and due to CDC regulations and Florida State recommendations of social distancing, there will not be a large live audience in attendance.
The forums will be taped and 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.
Incumbents, or those who have run for office over the last dozen years, will be familiar with the format of these forums.
In the past, these Kiwanis Club Forums have enjoyed one hundred percent participation, but for any race in which one or more candidates choose(s) not to participate, the candidate(s) who do(es) choose to participate will be afforded the opportunity to answer the questions.
On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the Supervisor of Elections race featured Carol Rudd, Chris Hyatt and Corey Odom; while the Superintendent of Schools race included Joe Taylor and Martha Compton; and the Washington County Commission District 5 race featured Steve Joyner and Lynn Gothard.
Each candidate will be given one minute to introduce themselves at the beginning of their respective session, and then questions will be posed to each candidate in that race, alternating first to answer with each successive question.
Answers to each question will be limited to one minute, and there will be an official timekeeper, representing the Kiwanis Club. At the end of each session, each candidate will be given one minute to wrap up their presentation and express any final thoughts.
Candidates for Washington County School Board District 2 feature Lou Cleveland and Jerry Harrell; while those vying for Washington County Commissioner District 1 feature Alan Bush and Travis Hall; and candidates for Washington County Clerk of Court include Lora Bell and Stephanie Blankenship.
The event will be 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.
