Candidates running to represent Muskegon in state and federal offices to debate at Hackley Park this Saturday, Oct. 13

As the Nov. 6 midterm elections near, Muskegon voters will have a chance this Saturday, Oct. 13 to meet the candidates running to represent them at the state and federal level.

The Muskegon Community College’s Center for Experiential Learning will host “Politics in the Park,” a candidates’ forum, in downtown Muskegon’s Hackley Park (350 W. Webster Ave.) from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.

The event is free, open to the public, and will be held rain or shine.

The candidates expected to attend include:

• Second U.S. Congressional District candidate Rob Davidson
• 34th Senate District candidates Jon Bumstead, Max Rieske, and Poppy Sias-Hernandez
• 91st state House candidates Greg VanWoerkom and Tanya Cabala
• 92nd state House candidates Terry Sabo and Gail Eichorst

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga was invited to attend the forum as well, but he declined the invitation.

“Utilizing a tried-and-true format which heralds back to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, the moderated forum will focus on a number of topics which a potential leader will face at either the federal or state level,” George Maniates, a Muskegon Community College professor and one of the event’s organizers, said in a press release. “Candidates will be presented with a topic and they can inform the public about their stances and concerns which they will face.”

MCC staff provided the topics that could be addressed during the forum to the candidates ahead of time. The event moderator will draw the final list of topics from a pool of sealed envelopes at the forum. Candidates will have three minutes to answer each question.

“The voters have clearly made us aware they are not interested in sound bites or poll stances but in well-thought and substantive policy plans,” Maniates said in the same press release. “They want to hear about solutions or efforts which the candidate will take if she or he is elected to office.”

For more information, visit the Politics in the Park’s Facebook page by clicking here.