Candidates in contested races across Licking County gathered in a broadcasting studio on Thursday, Oct. 10, ready to participate in a candidate forum hosted by the WCLT Radio Group, The Reporting Project and the Licking County Farm Bureau.
All candidates in contested local and state-level races were invited to participate. This includes Common Pleas Court candidates David Branstool (incumbent) and Matt Kunsman, Ohio State Senate candidates Nick Hubbell and Tim Schaffer (incumbent), Ohio House of Representatives candidates Michael Smith, Thaddeus Claggett (incumbent), Jamie Hough and Kevin Miller (incumbent), and Licking County Commissioner candidates James Snedden Jr., Tim Bubb (incumbent), Bryn Bird and Duane Flowers (incumbent).
All invited candidates — except for Snedden and Hubbell — accepted invitations from the host organizations. Snedden said he would cede his time to his opponent, while Hubbell did not respond to emails, phone calls or mailed letters.
Listen to the candidate’s answers to questions about homelessness, drug addiction, development, Intel, housing, and more on the WCLT website. A recording of the forum is also available below:
In addition to co-hosting the candidate forum, The Reporting Project is providing comprehensive election coverage on its website, social media channels and via its weekly newsletter. That includes state and national coverage from the Associated Press, which The Reporting Project is able to provide free to readers because of grant funding.
Watch for profiles of local candidates in contested races as well as coverage of issues facing Licking Countians, including ongoing development, environmental challenges and the local economy.
Early voting began in Ohio on Oct. 8. Registered voters with an acceptable form of identification can vote between now and Election Day at the Early Voting Center in the basement of the Licking County Administration Building at 20 S. 2nd Street, next to Wendy’s and across from the courthouse, in downtown Newark.
TheReportingProject.org is the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program and is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.