The debate will take place at 2 p.m. at the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St. Seating will be very limited
VANCOUVER — Third Congressional District candidates Joe Kent and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, seeking to replace longtime incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler, have accepted an invitation from the League of Women Voters to debate Oct. 15.
Journalists from news outlets in the district will prepare questions for the candidates, who are facing off in the Nov. 8 general election. Herrera Beutler was elected in 2010 to represent the 3rd District and then was re-elected five times before her Aug. 3 primary defeat by Kent and Perez.
Four chapters of the League of Women Voters from Clark, Klickitat-Skamania, Lewis and Cowlitz counties are debate hosts.
“The 3rd Congressional District serves a diverse region,” said League of Women Voters of Clark County Vice President Judie Stanton. “And we are including journalists from throughout the district to make sure the candidates address issues that are of concern to all of their potential constituents.”
The district stretches from Clark County north to Lewis County and from Pacific County on the coast to Skamania County in the east. The district also includes Wahkiakum County and a portion of Thurston County.
The 101-year-old nonprofit League is well known for its history of hosting nonpartisan debates and candidate forums in cities, counties, districts and states throughout the country.
Stanton noted the campaign for the 3rd District has drawn extensive attention, including coverage by The New York Times and The Washington Post, in part because the two candidates hold distinctly differing positions on a number of issues, including abortion and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
“As always, because of our experience and our commitment to impartiality, the League is up to the task of conducting a nonpartisan event that will provide voters with important information about the candidates and their positions,” Stanton added.
Clark/Vancouver Television, a government-access cable channel, will handle production and air the debate live. TVW, Washington’s public affairs network, also has agreed to air the event live. The debate will take place at 2 p.m. at the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St. Seating will be very limited. Debate organizers said the location has production facilities to allow for live broadcasting and the ability to share feeds with other television and radio operations. Independent and commercial radio and television stations in the region that request links will be permitted to air the debate in full as well, Stanton said. No candidate will be allowed to edit the footage for campaign purposes. Topics for questions will be solicited from the journalists as well as members of the public. The League will screen the questions for subject matter and bias and the journalists will be asked to review them as well.
The League of Women Voters of Clark County is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to all. With 100 years of experience, the League is one of America’s oldest and most trusted civic nonprofit organizations.
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Judy Stanton was formerly a Clark County Commissioner who was elected as a democrat.
How many of the other league members and journalists submitting and reviewing topics and questions typically favor democrat candidates?
I hope that this year, both candidates will be asked the same questions, and given the same amount of time to reply. If one candidate is given the questions in advance, the other should be also.
The recent Primary has only proven further that mainstream Republicans are persona non grata in this county. Left leaning people shouldn’t bother you. Right leaning people are an endangered species and the far right is abandoning democracy right before our eyes.
As for the second half of your post, totally agree!
I agree Bon K–except I would add that the far left is equally as bad as the far right. Most center-right and center-left persons can agree on quite a bit and yet we’re forced to choose between the nut jobs the extremes elect. That is why ranked-choice voting is good because it favors people with moderate views.
I voted for Herrera and I don’t want I am going to do. Definitely not voting for political-opportunist and un-abashed Trump-acolyte Kent. The only question is whether I don’t vote or vote for Perez
I’m not sure what the point of your first question is? I’m not sure where you would find enough people to put on a debate who have NO preference about who represents them and would thus be completely” impartial.
I assume you believe each league member and journalist, who lives in this district, has a right to favor whoever they want to represent them. So are you saying that only democratic leaning league members and journalists are going to be reviewing the topics and questions to the exclusion of republican leaning league members and journalists?
The League of Women voters in Clark County has historically been dominated by democrats. At least since 1998. They have invited journalists who are also dominated by democrats to pose questions. I used to attend LWV debates, but found that the questions were skewed to favor democrat candidates. Worse than that, candidates for the same office were asked different questions to pigeon hole conservative candidates! Perhaps residents who agreed with the democrat leaning majority did have their questions posed. Conservative sorts of questions never seemed to make the cut.
Ranked choice voting is a terrible idea and I hope it gains absolutely no traction in Clark County. I agree with Margaret that if one candidate is given the questions in advance, so should the other. Why not do either? Just let them show up and get put on the spot. Kent is not an extremist and by all accounts is very pro-American. We desperately need people in office who love America and want to put our Constitution first.. because we do not have that now on any level!
Herrera Butler was NOT elected when she first started….she was hand picked by Zarelli when he left his open seat…then she was elected…..silver platter RINO
Just left the Kent-Perez debate at the RV inn style convention center. Perez is an unsophisticated dimwit. Maybe Democrats enjoy when their candidates swear at them, but the rest of us see it as unprofessional and immature. Her level of amateurish behavior was the only impression she left on the audience. I couldn’t bear another debate that would have her as a participant.
The article does not say how one may attend, only that there is limited seating. Will it be by ticket reservations, as was the last debate?
Very good question. I hope someone answers in time to request a ticket if needed.