PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County League of Women Voters and the Port Townsend branch of the American Association of University Women are having to pivot in the way they produce candidate forums.
For the first time, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic halting large in-person gatherings, the two groups will host the next candidate forum for the Aug. 4 primary election through Zoom.
The candidate forum will be between the three candidates running for the District 2 commissioner seat of the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners: Heidi Eisenhower, Amanda Rae Funaro and Lorna Smith.
The forum will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23. Radio station KPTZ 91.9 FM also will simulcast the event.
District 2 comprises the middle of East Jefferson County including Chimacum, Port Hadlock, Irondale, Marrowstone Island, Kala Point, Woodland Hills and Cape George. Only District 2 voters will vote on the race in the primary election, and then the top two candidates will appear on the Jefferson County-wide ballot in November.
During the forum, the candidates will give timed opening and closing statements. The candidates will respond to questions from voters, which the League is requesting be emailed in advance to lwvjeffcowa@gmail.com.
“Concise, unbiased questions will be given priority, and every effort will be made to cover a wide range of subjects,” organizer Deborah Pederson stated in a press release.
The forum can be viewed at tinyurl.com/PDN-CandidateForum or by using meeting ID 897 7868 0291 on Zoom, or by calling 1-253-215-8782 and inputting the meeting ID followed by # for audio only.
A recording of the forum will be posted on YouTube on Dennis Daneau’s channel.
