Candidate forums for Las Cruces school board and city council races set for Sept. 24 and Sept. 30

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - The League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico will hold two forums this month for candidates in contested races for the Las Cruces Board of Education and Las Cruces City Council.

The school board forum is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24 at the LCPS Board Room in the Karen Trujillo Administration Building, 505 S. Main St.

The city council forum will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 in the council chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St. Both events are open to the public.

The school board forum will cover two contested races:

• District 2: Kristina L. Moore and Pamela Cort
• District 3: Robert C. Wofford, Adrianna Maria Garcia, Natalie R. Chadborn and Paul Kevin Paar

Patrick D. Nolan, running unopposed in District 1, will not be part of the forum.

Nine candidates are running for city council seats in Districts 3, 5 and 6:

• District 3: Michael James Harris, Isaiah Paul Tellez and write-in candidate Paul Kevin Paar
• District 5: Becky Ann Corran and Ronnie M. Sisneros
• District 6: Tommy Black, Ramona Bataneant, John P. Muñoz and Richard J. Reynaud

The Doña Ana County chapter of the NAACP and the Las Cruces branch of the American Association of University Women will co-sponsor the events.

“These nonpartisan forums will give the community a chance to learn about the candidates and hear how they stand on the issues,” said Beth Bardwell, LWVSNM first vice president.

Candidates will be asked to respond to questions from the League and from the audience. They will also give opening and closing statements, and the format will include a brief meet-and-greet period with the public.

In addition to the forums, the League will publish a printed voter guide covering Doña Ana County races in both English and Spanish, and candidate responses will also be available at VOTE411.org beginning in October.

For more information, email lwvsnm@gmail.com.