Citizens Coalition Holds Mayoral Debate Thursday
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Candidates for Youngstown mayor will debate Thursday evening at a forum hosted by the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition.
The debate, scheduled to start at 7 p.m., will take place at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center at Fellows Riverside Garden in Mill Creek Park. John McNally IV, a former Youngstown law director and Mahoning County commissioner and the Democratic nominee, and DeMaine Kitchen, current chie fof staff to incumbent Mayor Chuck Sammarone and a former 2nd Ward councilman who is running as an independent, have committed to the debate. Independent candidates Frank Bellamy and John M. Crea have also been invited.
The candidates will be asked questions by three area journalists: Andrea Wood, publisher of The Business Journal; Bob Black, WFMJ-TV 21 news anchor, and Stan Boney, WYTV Channel 33 news anchor. Each of the media panelists will direct questions to each candidate while giving the other candidates time for rebuttal. The debate is expected to last 90 minutes. Rev. Michael Harrison, pastor of Union Baptist Church on the city’s north side, will serve as moderator.
“We are very happy that the Davis Center has committed their resources to this event,” said attorney Patricia Dougan, 7th Ward Citizens Coalition president. “Even though the Center isn’t in the 7th Ward, we were looking for a well-known site that was as centrally-located as possible because we expect to draw people from all sides of town. The staff there has been very helpful and is very enthusiastic about holding this debate at their venue.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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