The Anderson County Republican Party will have an April 8 forum for GOP candidates running for county offices in the May 6 primary election.
The forum starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge. It’s expected to last about two hours, a press release said.
“This year’s election is especially important for Anderson County’s future,†said Aaron Wells, chairman of the Anderson County Republican Party. “A forum will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase our great candidates and the Republican vision for the county. We invite folks to join us for what should be an interesting and informative evening. â€
The Republican Party forum is scheduled at the same time and the same night as a candidate forum organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The League forum is for both Democratic and Republican candidates in the May 6 primary elections. It’s not clear yet if either event might be rescheduled to allow Republican candidates to attend both.
The April 8 Republican Party forum will focus on the four primary races that have multiple Republican contenders, which include Anderson County mayor, sheriff, chancellor, and Juvenile Court judge. The press release said a total of 15 Republican candidates are running for office in nine county races during the May primary election.
The press release said the party membership voted overwhelmingly to have the forum.
“As far as I know, this is the first time that we as a party have held a forum for county candidates,†Wells said.
The Midtown Community Center is at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge.
For more information, call Wells at (865) 898-7471 or send him an e-mail at [email protected].
Cindy McCullough says
Grrr, on the Republicans choosing the same night as the League of Women Voters forum. As a new resident, I want to meet all the candidates.
Charlie Jernigan says
Me too! In this state Republicans normally believe that they can compete, but maybe a open forum, shared with some Democrats is too big a stage here in Oak Ridge.
Eileen Slater says
You can meet all the candidates during the General Election, which is held in August. Since the only contested primary races (for local office) are within the Republican Party, our party voted to still hold the forum we were planning so our candidates could compete within a format that is less constrained than that which the LWV forums allow.
Charlie Jernigan says
Not sure we will be able to meet the losing primary candidates at the General Election forum. It that the official Republican stand? That the general public should not participate in the primaries by getting to know all the possible candidates.
The Republican Party picked this fight by creating this scheduling conflict.
I hope that any Republican candidates (and all others, too!) that want to appeal to all of Anderson County voters will attend the LWV forum on April 8th.
Eileen Slater says
I hope going forward the county Democrat party will follow the example of the Republican party and offer their own primary forum for local races when they are contested. The LWV, being ostensibly non-partisan, should not involve itself in party politics as such, in my opinion. It’s actually somewhat presumptuous that a non-partisan enterprise would see the need to provide an “educational” forum for a partisan organization.
Charlie Jernigan says
It’s hardly presumptuous the LWV to have a non-partisan forum. You are just looking at it backwards. The League is doing this for the voters (and for all of the candidates), but not the parties. It is, after all, non-partisan.
The question arises, why is the AC Republican Party scheduling conflicts with this event? Is it because it is because the ACRP is more interested in protecting its stable of politicians rather than helping their politicians reach out to the voters as a whole?
For example, a nice young Christian Conservative Republican canvased my neighborhood the other day. He doesn’t seem like a trouble maker. He has experience at the County level. He has a reputation as a quick learner. I think it would serve his own best interests to keep reaching out to the public like he did to me and my neighbors. But his own Republican Party is throwing up these road blocks in his way.
The way I read it, is that if you are not an incumbent, the Anderson County Republican Party is OK if you stay that way.
If you want to reach out to the voters and win, next time the ACRP will help, but don’t fall for it. It is a tactic of weakness; it is a tactic like old people trying to hold on to their power while the youth come of age, it will inevitably fail in the long run.
If you are not an incumbent Republican, please help yourself and attend the LWV primary candidates forum, Apr 8, 7PM, Pollard Auditorium, in Oak Ridge.
If you are an incumbent Republican, please help yourself and don’t let these other candidates move past you because your party is always looking behind.
If you are any kind of Democratic candidate, you know you should be there too.
Eileen Slater says
I can’t help but think the “nice young” candidate you are referring to above is who Democrats would like to have as the Republican nominee because he would be a weak candidate to run against the Democrats’ “old” candidate. Thus the Democrat/LWV preference for blurring partisan lines as their forum, at this juncture, would do. Cross-over primary voting is a fine old tradition in Tennessee, and candidates for partisan offices, especially local, have to factor this into their strategies.
I think the Republican party’s decision to move forward with their primary forum, even though it conflicts with the LWV/Democrat forum, probably does throw up a “road block” to primary candidates who may need outside help to win their party’s nomination. But if our party is to stand for something, then this would be a good thing, no?
Charlie Jernigan says
Depends, I guess. If what you stand for is wrongheaded, then maybe a change is coming.
You see, it is not a LWV/Democrat(ic) forum, it is a League of Women Voters forum. It is available to Democratic, Republican, and any other party that has candidates in the this year’s election cycle. The fact that the Republican Party decided to try and block its party’s candidates from attending tells me, on the surface, that their candidates cannot clean up well enough to share a stage with others in front of the public at large. Any Republican candidates who don’t like to think of themselves like that are, of course, welcome to attend the LWV forum in Pollard Auditorium, 210 Badger Av, Oak Ridge.
Also, you are mistaken. I wasn’t thinking of the Bates lad when I mentioned someone stopping by. It was a judicial candidate that I had met. When the Bates campaign canvased my neighborhood, a nice young woman stopped by my house and she made a good impression as well. I do understand why you would be sensitive that Mr Bates would actually have the gall to run against your niece, right?
Well, both you and the Republican Party have lost sight of the real purpose of political candidates which is to serve the needs of the electorate, not to consolidate and maintain political power for themselves and their family.
The voting public is able to make their own choice, thank you.
Rick Hasbrouck says
Being this is a Primary election and not general election, why would the League combine both on the same night anyway?
Charlie Jernigan says
Just repeating their normal program last done in 2010, the traditional “off year” Tennessee election cycle.
Abbey Nelson says
Maybe their “normal” program needs adjusting. Those who vote in the Republican Primary have an opportunity to hear Republican candidates at the Republican Forum. If the Dems want to hear what they are saying to plan their campaign strategy they can attend the Republican Forum… or not. Republican candidates will be discussing Republican issues, values, concerns, etc. They will not be campaigning against Democrats. Your complaint is really a non-issue.
Charlie Jernigan says
Thanks Abbey for confirming that the Republican Party of Anderson County is not interested in appealing to the general public.
However, that being said, all candidates running for public office are welcome to attend the non-partisan League of Women Voters forum
April 8 at 7:00pmPollard Auditorium in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
The public is invited to meet the candidates and hear their views.
Abbey says
Charlie, I would assume the Republican Party is only interested in appealing to Republican voters at THIS time since it is a Republican Primary in which voters identify themselves as Republicans when they go to the polls and select the primary in which they would like to vote. Once the nominees have been chosen in both parties, voters will have a chance to educate themselves, compare and contrast each candidate therefore making a post primary forum a more appropriate time for the League to hold its normal, traditional event. And I am sorry, Charlie, but a candidate’s forum is absolutely, positively, and most assuredly a “campaign event”.
Cindy McCullough says
I think this sounds like a way to discourage cross over voting. IE if Democrats don’t know much about the Republican primary candidates, then they won’t cross over vote. Interesting. Sounds like a bit more of a closed primary state than I expected.
Abbey Nelson says
The League should just cancel their forum since the Democrats seeking office have no primary opposition and wait for their traditionL FORUM BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION. Has anyone ever looked at the League’s forum guidelines? Maybe John Houtori could post them. I hear they are unusually restrictive like no video taping. Seems a little strange not to be able to tape an event that could be used in campaigning.
Charlie Jernigan says
The League is not in the business of creating campaign events. It produces a educational forum where candidates can describe their positions on issues and take questions of general interest from the public. Since the League is non-partisan, it would be inappropriate to change their guidelines to conform to the Democratic Party or any other party.
Candidates without opposition are introduced. Candidates with general election opponents only make a 2 minute statement. Candidates with primary opposition make the 2 minute statement and answer the topical questions.
Rob Woodward says
Why doesn’t the league just change their forum date?
Rob Woodward says
It would seem that two educational forums would be better than one, as two different structures of Q & A would give voters more information before heading to the polls. Likewise, by offering two different dates for forums it increases the likelihood that citizens would be able to make at least one of the forums. The League should strongly consider changing their date to help get the public educated on the candidates.
Trina Baughn says
While I do appreciate (and
have participated in) the LWV’s forums, I fail to see why this has drawn such a strong, negative reaction. It really seems like a logical move that has been a
long-time coming for two reasons. First, all over the country and for as long
as I’ve been alive at least, both major parties hold their own events leading
up to the primaries. Second, the LWV is by no means non-partisan. That’s not a
judgment on my part, it is a well-known fact. Anyone who subscribes to their
emails or follows their online postings knows that the LWV subscribe to a
liberal philosophy and support the Democrat agenda. Again, not a judgment, just
a statement of fact. If the LWV were upset about this (which I’m not hearing
that they are, I’m just responding to the commentary on this site) they could
change their date. This isn’t a major production, after all. It’s small town
politics. Sheesh.