The League of Women Voters of Sudbury has cancelled plans for two candidates’ forums this fall, for the Fifth Congressional District and the Middlesex & Worcester State Senate seats.
Fourteen Leagues of Women Voters in the Fifth Congressional District offered to sponsor a candidates’ forum in the race between Rep. Katherine Clark, Democrat, and Caroline Colarusso, Republican.
Clark declined the invitation. Colarusso accepted it. Clark and Colarusso did participate in a League of Women Voters forum in 2020.
Closer to home, the Sudbury League has cancelled plans to hold a candidates’ forum for the newly-drawn Middlesex & Worcester State Senate district. The new district includes all of Sudbury; the town is no longer split between two Senate districts.
James Eldridge, the incumbent Democratic Senator, accepted the League’s invitation to record an hour-long candidates’ forum. Anthony Christakis, Republican of Wayland, declined the invitation.
League policy prohibits “empty chair” forums that feature only one candidate in a two-person race, so the Sudbury League will not hold the planned forum.
The League publishes an online voters’ guide, VOTE411.org, with information on elections and candidate information and responses to a League questionnaire.
I suggest that the LWV reconsider the policy that prohibits “empty chair” forums. The League of Women Voters of Sudbury has cancelled plans for two candidates’ forums this fall, for the Fifth Congressional District and the Middlesex & Worcester State Senate seats. The planned forums were cancelled after Democrat Rep. Katherine Clark and Anthony Christakis, Republican of Wayland, declined invitations to debate. How does this serve the people of Sudbury? Neither candidate deserves our vote.