Candidates for office to take part in chamber's online forum

by CHARLES H. FEATHERSTONE
Staff Writer | October 9, 2020 1:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — Grant County residents will get a chance to hear from local candidates for public office about their positions on the issues Monday at an online forum organized by the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re not postponing the election, so we’ve got to vote,” said Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Doran-Martinez.

The chamber is bringing together candidates for Washington’s 4th Congressional seat, incumbent Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and his Democratic challenger, Douglas McKinney; State Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, and his Democratic challenger, Eduardo Casteñeda-Díaz; Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell and his challenger, Kevin McCrae; incumbent Grant County Commissioner Tom Taylor and challenger Rob Jones; and Grant County Commission candidates Danny Stone and Earl Romig, both of whom are vying to succeed outgoing Commissioner Richard Stevens.

The forum, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and last until 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, will be livecast on the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page as well as on Zoom. However, according to Doran-Martinez, the Zoom livestream will be limited to 100 participants.

“The candidates will be visible and audible, and the audience can ask questions,” she said.

Participants on Zoom will be able to type in their questions, but Doran-Martinez said that those watching on Facebook can email any questions for the candidates to her directly at [email protected].

Doran-Martinez also said that Newhouse and McKinney, the two candidates running for U.S. Congress, will go first.

“We struggled with the representative race. That covers such as wide area, and they are asked to do so many of these, so we’ll do that at the beginning,” she said.

Doran-Martinez said the chamber has received a very positive response from the community, and hopes that this year’s candidates forum will reach more people than forums have reached in the past.

“And on Facebook, you can watch it at a later time,” she said.

To watch the forum Monday evening, follow the Zoom link on the Chamber of Commerce’s webpage www.moseslake.com or on its Facebook page www.facebook.com/MosesLakeChamber.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].