The Star is sponsoring six mayoral forums with Justus and Lucas. Here’s how to get involved
The Kansas City Star will sponsor six forums with Kansas City mayoral candidates Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas between now and the June 18 election.
The events, which will be held in each of Kansas City’s six City Council districts, should be enormously helpful for voters who are trying to decide between the two candidates. But we don’t want to do it alone.
We’d like to co-sponsor these debates with community groups, neighborhood committees, or any organization interested in a conversation with council members Justus and Lucas. We’re hoping for broad-based debates focused on issues that are important to neighborhoods — crime, housing, basic city services, taxes and spending, among others.
If those concerns are significant in your neighborhood, and your group wants to co-sponsor a debate, please contact The Star by Friday, April 12.
You can submit a co-sponsorship request by email to Derek Donovan (ddonovan@kcstar.com) or Dave Helling (dhelling@kcstar.com), both members of The Star’s Editorial Board. Please provide:
▪ The name of your organization, its purpose and approximate number of members
▪ A contact email and phone number, and a good time to call
▪ The City Council district where your group or organization is based
▪ Preferred dates for a forum (please provide three dates if possible and convenient times)
▪ A location for the debate if you have one in mind
The six Star-sponsored forums are one part of both candidates’ commitment to running substantive campaigns focused on policy and ideas for moving the city forward. The candidates have also agreed to six other debates sponsored by local television stations, radio stations and other print media.
Each forum will be free and open to the public and the press. They will be live-streamed online and available for later viewing. While the rules for each specific event have not been finalized, the public will have an opportunity to participate.
The Star supports a full discussion of the issues most important to our readers. We congratulate the candidates for their willingness to conduct a series of debates in diverse locations. Any voter who wants to know more about the candidates will have ample opportunity to hear them before going to the polls.
Kansas City’s next mayor will face enormous challenges — and enjoy important opportunities. The choice is crucial. You can be a part of the discussion.
This story was originally published April 8, 2019 at 4:06 PM.