Candidate forums coming to Quincy, Ephrata

QUINCY — Election season is here and if you want to get a better grasp on the candidates and what they stand for then you are in luck because candidate forums are scheduled to be held in Quincy and Ephrata in October.

The Quincy forum, which is sponsored by the Port of Quincy and Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled to be held Oct. 9 from 7-9 p.m. at the Quincy Valley Business and Conference Center, 115 F St. SW. Organizers are accepting questions from the public to be asked during the forum. The questions, which are due by Sept. 27, can be submitted via email at qvcc@quincyvalley.org or by phone at 509-787-2140.

Information will also be presented during the forum on Grant County Fire District No. 3's levy proposition. The following candidates have been invited to the forum:

Grant County Assessor

• Assessor Melissa McKnight, R-Ephrata.
• Scott G. Schmig, R-Moses Lake.

Grant County Auditor

• Auditor Michele Jaderlund, R-Ephrata.
• James (Jim) Liebrecht, R-Moses Lake.

Grant County Sheriff

• Sheriff Tom Jones, R-Moses Lake.
• Myriam Villagran Diaz, D-Soap Lake.

Grant County Treasurer

• Treasurer Darryl Pheasant, prefers non-partisan party-Ephrata.
• Casey Cooper, R-Moses Lake.

Grant County Commissioner Position No. 3

• Commissioner Cindy Carter, R-Royal City.
• Jeff Foster, R-Moses Lake.

Grant County PUD Commissioner No. 1

• Commissioner Terry Brewer, of Soap Lake.
• Judy Wilson, of Moses Lake.

Grant County PUD Commissioner Position B

• Nelson Cox, of Warden.
• Patti Paris, of Moses Lake.

The Ephrata forum, sponsored by the American Legion Art Sempro Post 28, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 17 and will be held at the American Legion in Ephrata, 276 8th Ave. NW. Doors open at 6 p.m. and attendees who plan on submitting a written question are asked to arrive by 6:45 p.m.

“The format is simple. The candidates will appear in pairs according to the office they are running for. Each candidate will be given three minutes for an opening statement, and then there will be approximately a 10-minute Q-and-A period for questions (written in advance by the audience) read by the moderator. We will then move on to the next pair of candidates,” explained Mike Montaney. “Only candidates for contested races in Grant County have been invited to attend. These include candidates for Congress, State Legislative Districts 12 and 13, Grant County Commissioners and (Grant) PUD Commissioners.

The American Legion will be providing coffee, punch and limited desserts at the event. People who cannot attend the forum but would like to submit a question are asked to email their question to Montaney at mmontaney@gmail.com.

A forum is also scheduled to be held in Moses Lake at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 411 S. Balsam St, Oct. 8 from 6-8 p.m.