To help voters learn more about general election candidates running for Edmonds City Council this fall, My Edmonds News will host a series of virtual debates in late September and early October that will be available for viewing via YouTube.
Debate questions will be developed by My Edmonds News publisher Teresa Wippel in consultation with Edmonds civic organizations. My Edmonds News readers are also invited to submit their top three questions for the candidates here.
In Council Position 1, candidate Alicia Crank is running against incumbent Kristiana Johnson. For Position 2, the candidates are Janelle Cass and Will Chen, both of whom edged out appointed incumbent Luke Distelhorst in the August primary. And for Position 3, incumbent Adrienne Fraley-Monillas is facing a challenge from former City Councilmember Neil Tibbott.
“These debates are being conducted remotely due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wippel said. “Similar to candidate forums being sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County, the debates are being scheduled at the candidates’ convenience and will be recorded. The debates will then be available for viewing via YouTube in early October, so voters have plenty of time to review candidates’ answers and make an informed decision prior to the time ballots arrive in their mailboxes in mid-October.”
General election ballots are due Tuesday, Nov. 2.
These debates are being supported by the following Election 2021 event sponsors: Edmonds College, James Russell, PLLC certified public accountants and business advisors, and Office Tech. If you want to add your organization’s name to the sponsorship list, email Kathy Hashbarger for details.
This is not a debate!!! What a waste of citizens time, with pre scripted, canned answers. The candidates can sit together at either the council chambers or the ECA stage, masked, six feet apart and answer on the spot questions by their opponent. The candidates are all holding kick off campaigns in person, they should be to manage an in-person debate with the 6 of them and the moderator. It could then be live on zoom and then videotaped for citizens review.
The candidates won’t get the questions in advance so there will be no canned answers, other than the ones they have prepared in anticipation of questions (and that would happen live or virtual). In addition, they will have the ability to challenge each other and rebut. The only difference it that there is no live audience.
When will this be happening and where can we access. Also is this a debate (eg live zoom discussion recordedcand diateubuted) or individual (which is what league of womems voters did for primary)
No live audience. Each position debate is being recorded separately and will be posted on YouTube for viewing prior to when the ballots are mailed.
This is really cool! Once again Teresa and MEN come through for the community. Yes, it will be a different forum than we’ve been used to. I look forward to watching and hearing each candidates spin on tackling increasingly complex issues.
Well said John. The previous debates were very well organized and informative. We have received a lot of critical information about our city and the candidates that serve us from MEN. Certainly a critical resource for this community.
I look forward to hearing how the candidates would work to improve respectfulness, productive debate, and transparency of the issues facing our community.
I submit this question.
If homelessness in Edmonds gets worse under your tenure, are you prepared to accept the blame regardless of your intentions to help people?
It’s okay if this is a canned answer.
When will this be happening and where can we access. Also is this a debate (eg live zoom discussion recordedcand diateubuted) or individual (which is what league of womems voters did for primary)