TOLEDO MAYORAL RACE
Candidates to square off today
9/3/2013
Four candidates for mayor in Tuesday's primary election will face off today in a live debate on WTVG-TV, Channel 13, and co-hosted by media partner The Blade.
The debate, set for 7 to 8 p.m., allows candidates will be able to contrast themselves, and in which voters will be able to evaluate the candidates together before the election. The two highest vote-getters in that election will go on to the Nov. 5 general election.
Seven candidates for mayor of Toledo and the 17 candidates running for seats on Toledo City Council have been invited to a Meet the Candidates night Thursday in Point Place.
The event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Friendship Park Community Center, 2930 131st St. in Point Place. Candidates will be introduced at 7 p.m. and will be given a chance to tell voters their platform.
The top 12 vote getters in the council race will then go on to the Nov 5. general election, with the top six winning election.
Organizers said today that 17 of the 24 candidates have already confirmed that they will be in attendance.
The format calls for candidates to face questions from a panel of journalists, including Blade politics writer Tom Troy, WTVG politics reporter Bill Hormann, and WTVG anchorman Lee Conklin. WTVG anchorman Diane Larson will moderate the debate. It will be conducted in WTVG's studios without a live audience.
The debate will include incumbent Mayor Mike Bell, an independent, and challengers Toledo Councilman D. Michael Collins, also an independent, and Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez and Councilman Joe McNamara, both Democrats.
Not included in the one-hour forum were three additional candidates whose names will appear on the ballot — independent Alan Cox, Libertarian Michael Konwinski, and unendorsed Republican Opal Covey — and the certified write-in candidate, Donald Gozdowski.
The debate can be seen on The Blade's Web site, www.toledoblade.com. WTVG will scroll Twitter comments across the bottom of the screen during the debate. The Twitter hashtag is #13abcDebate.