U.S. Senate Candidates Forum Sponsored by League of Women Voters and WFCR to Be Held at UMass Amherst Nov. 8
Nov. 5, 2009
| Contact: | Ed Blaguszewski 413/545-0444 |
AMHERST, Mass. – A forum for candidates running for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward M. Kennedy will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and public radio stations WFCR and WNNZ. It is free and open to the public.
Candidates who will appear on the Dec. 8 primary ballot, including Democrats U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano, Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca and Alan Khazei, a co-founder of City Year, have agreed to take part in the forum. Republicans state Sen. Scott Brown and Jack E. Robinson will also participate.
Attorney General Martha Coakley has not committed due to a schedule conflict.
The two groups of candidates will appear on stage together, grouped by party and all will answer the same questions.
The League plans a second candidates forum in January before the general election on Jan. 19.
Bob Paquette, Morning Edition host on WFCR, will moderate the UMass Amherst forum. Half of the two-hour event will be devoted to questions on domestic issues and half to questions on international issues. Paquette will ask the questions, which are being submitted by UMass students as well as League members around the state.
"By presenting all the candidates in the primary races on the same stage, the League feels registered party voters will have a chance to decide among their party's candidates, and the majority of Massachusetts voters who are not enrolled in a political party will have a chance to decide which ballot they want in the Dec. 8 election," says Zaxaro Bennett, president of the Massachusetts League.
An opportunity to register to vote will be available beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Bowker Auditorium.
Parking for the forum is available in the Campus Center Parking Garage, which is adjacent to Bowker Auditorium, located in Stockbridge Hall.
The League is a nonpartisan political organization, which encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues. For more information on the state and local Leagues, visit www.lwvma.org.
88.5FM WFCR/640AM WNNZ, NPR News and Music for Western New England, is an affiliate of National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio International. The University of Massachusetts is the license holder for WFCR, which operates with the advice and support of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For more information, visit the website at www.wfcr.org.
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