Public Candidate Forums
The League of Women Voters of Thurston County is proud to partner with the Timberland Regional Library, Thurston Community Media, and the NAACP of Thurston County to present a series of candidate forums which are open to the public. At these forums candidates for several races in the upcoming election will answer questions from the audience.
- September 17th @ 1pm - North Thurston School Board at Lacey Timberland Library
- September 20th @ 10:30am and 1pm - Tumwater School Board at Tumwater Timberland Library
- September 24th @ 6:30pm - Olympia School Board at Olympia Timberland Library
- October 8th @ 6:30pm - Olympia City Council at Olympia Timberland Library
Audience members will be provided note cards to write questions on which will be given to League volunteers who will consolidate similar questions, edit for clarity, and ensure neutral wording.
The criteria for questions from the public are
- Questions must be relevant to the position the candidates are running for.
- Questions must be addressed to all candidates
- Questions must relate to only one subject, and should be no longer than one sentence
- Questions must be worded in a neutral and non-partisan manner
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization that does not endorse candidates or political parties.
Olympia City Council, Position 6
Candidates:
- Darleen Simkins
- Justin Stang
- Robert Vanderpool
Moderator: Donna Cobb
Timer: Rae Watkins
Position Description:
According to the Council Guidebook by the City of Olympia, “Members of the Olympia City Council are collectively responsible for: establishing policy, adopting an annual budget, providing vision and goals, and hiring and supervising the City Manager, Police Auditor, and Hearing Examiner.”
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Olympia City Council, Position 4
Candidates:
- Wendy Carlson
- Michael A. Marstrom
Moderator: Nicole Miller
Timer: Greg Hammaker
Position Description:
According to the Council Guidebook by the City of Olympia, “Members of the Olympia City Council are collectively responsible for: establishing policy, adopting an annual budget, providing vision and goals, and hiring and supervising the City Manager, Police Auditor, and Hearing Examiner.”
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Port of Olympia, Position 3
Candidates:
- Rebecca Faust
- Anthony Hemstad
- Krag Unsoeld
Moderator: Vallie Needham Huisman
Timer: Sally Nole
Position Description:
The Port of Olympia is a Washington State special purpose municipal corporation serving all of Thurston County. The Port owns and operates four distinct business lines, including Swantown Marina and Boatyards, Seaport, Olympia Regional Airport, and a real estate portfolio. The Port is well balanced and committed to fostering economic growth of the South Puget Sound region while serving the needs of the global clientele.
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Olympia School Board, Position 3
Candidates:
- Renee Fullerton
- Rhyan Smith
Moderator: Vallie Needham Huisman
Timer: Evan Ferber
Position Description:
According to their website “The Olympia School District Board of Directors is comprised of five citizens elected to represent the community in setting district goals and policies, adopting the budget, placing tax levies and bond issues on the ballot, hiring personnel including the Superintendent, and providing the necessary facilities for the education of our community's youth.”
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Olympia School Board, Position 5
Candidates:
Emily Leddige
- Gilbert Lamount
Moderator: Tawney Crawford
Timer: Deborah Roberts
Position Description:
According to their website “The Olympia School District Board of Directors is comprised of five citizens elected to represent the community in setting district goals and policies, adopting the budget, placing tax levies and bond issues on the ballot, hiring personnel including the Superintendent, and providing the necessary facilities for the education of our community's youth.”
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Yelm Mayor
Candidates:
Moderator: Cynthia Stewart from LWV of Tacoma-Pierce County
Timer: Vallie Needham Huisman
Position Description:
The Mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer of the city, in charge of all departments and employees, with authority to designate assistants and department heads. The Mayor may appoint a city administrator, subject to the confirmation by a majority vote of the city council. The Mayor shall appoint and remove all appointive officers of the city. which shall include: a city attorney, a chief of police, a city clerk/treasurer, a public works director, and a community development director. They shall have general supervision of the administration of city government and all city interests.
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Early in each election cycle, we invite local candidates to participate in a candidate forum. A forum, not to be confused with a debate, is a panel featuring the candidates and a League moderator. The candidates are all asked the same questions and have the same amount of time to respond. The questions come from League members and folks in the community. The candidates are not provided the questions in advance. The League has partnered with Thurston Community Media to record and produce the forums since the 1990s.This year, we are excited to expand our partnerships to include the Timberland Regional Library and the NAACP of Thurston County.