The three Democratic candidates in the Akron mayoral primary will participate in a debate to be presented by the Akron Press Club on Wednesday, August 19, at the University of Akron’s Quaker Station.
The debate is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Akron Area and the University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.
The three candidates – Summit County Councilman Frank Comunale, Summit County Clerk of Courts Dan Horrigan and Akron Councilman Mike Williams – have agreed to the debate format.
Each candidate will have 90 seconds to answer questions posed by a panel of journalists. The other candidates will have 45 seconds each for rebuttal. The order of the questions will be determined by a lottery. Each candidate will be asked the same number of questions.
The journalists selected by the Press Club to ask the questions are:
· Edward L. Esposito, vice president, information media for the Rubber City Radio Group.
· M.L. Schultze, digital editor and reporter for WKSU-FM.
· Mark Turner, Akron Beacon Journal executive news editor.
Beacon Journal Editor Bruce Winges will moderate the debate.
Members of the audience are asked to reserve their applause until the end of the debate. No campaigning will be allowed in the debate room, including but not limited to buttons, stickers, T-shirts or other printed material. The Press Club reserves the right to refuse anyone displaying such material admission to the debate room.
There will not be a primary debate on the Republican side since there is only one candidate. The Press Club is planning for a debate in the fall between the Democratic primary winner and the Republican candidate, who will face off in the November general election.
Details:
Program: Akron Democratic mayoral debate.
Time: Doors open at 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 19. The program will begin at 11:55 a.m.
Place: Quaker Station, 135 South Broadway (free parking behind the building).
Cost: $20 for Press Club members, $25 for non-members. (Early bird discount of $15 for members and $20 for non-members for reservations made by Wednesday, August 12.)
$25 for all reservations made after Friday, August 14 (members and non-members).
Reservations requested: Contact Lianne Fowler, Press Club administrator, at 330-552-8860 or akronpressclub@gmail.com. Cash or check only accepted day of luncheon.
Reservation deadline: Noon, Friday, August 14.
Cancellations: Cancellation requests must be received no later than 48 hours before the event. After that time, there will be no refunds and an invoice will be issued for payment.
The Akron Press Club was founded in 1971 to promote a free press and serve local journalists and public relations professionals. The group has a rich heritage of offering newsmakers a forum to discuss issues of the day at Press Club luncheons and speaking events that are open to the public. The club also funds scholarships for journalists and public relations students and sponsors annual fundraising and community outreach events.
