Politics & Government

Local LWV to Hold Candidate Debates

The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Larchmont-Mamaroneck will be holding candidate debates on Oct. 24 and Oct. 29 in the Town and Village of Mamaroneck.

 

The content below was submitted by the LWV of Larchmont-Mamaroneck.

Voters have so many choices to make this November that for the first time in recent memory the local LWV is holding more than one night of candidate debates. 

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To enable voters to become familiar with seven of the races being contested (totaling nearly 20 candidates) for Congress, NY State Legislature and municipal offices, the LWV of Larchmont/Mamaroneck will host and moderate candidate forums on Wednesday, Oct.24 at 7 p.m. at the Town of Mamaroneck Courtroom, 740 W. Boston Post Rd., and Monday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Village of Mamaroneck Courtroom, Village Hall, 169 Mt. Pleasant Ave. 

The following candidates are slated to debate on each date (party affiliations follow each name, asterisk signifies incumbent): 

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wednesday, Oct. 24:

US Congress (District 16): Eliot Engel* (D, Working Families), Joseph McLaughlin (R), Joseph Diaferia (Green Party)

NY State Assembly (91st District): Steve Otis (D, Independence, Working Families) and William Villanova (R, Conservative).

Town of Mamaroneck Justice: Ronald Meister* (D) and Robert Sternbach (R) 

Town of Mamaroneck Council Member (one seat): Jaine Elkind Eney* (D), Jay Rubin (R) 

Monday, Oct. 29:

NY State Senate (37th District):  George S. Latimer (D, Working Families) and Bob Cohen (R, Conservative, Independence) 

Village of Mamaroneck Justice:  Daniel Gallagher* (D, Independence) and Jennifer Bienstock Cohen (R, Conservative, Taxpayers Relief)

Village of Mamaroneck Trustee (Elect 3):  George Belsito (R, Conservative, Independence), Dennis Cucinella (R, Conservative, Taxpayers Relief), Michael Sudano (R, Conservative, Taxpayers Relief), Leon Potok (D), Andres Bermudez Hallstrom (D), Ilissa Miller (D)

“Especially during a presidential election year, voters are overwhelmed with so many ads and mailers that some of the important local races can get lost in the mix,” said LWV President Elisabeth N. Radow.

“These debates showcase all the races that impact our citizens’ lives. The League provides these forums as a public service to give voters an opportunity to examine the priorities and beliefs of each candidate before going to the polls,” she added.

To ensure impartiality, each debate is presided over by a LWV moderator who is from outside the Larchmont-Mamaroneck area. The order of candidates’ presentations is chosen in advance by drawing lots.

Have a question you'd like to ask? Questions will be accepted from the audience in written form 15 minutes prior to the start of the debate. The League requires members of the public submitting debate questions to be present in the audience if and when their question is asked.  

“Due to our strict time constraints, we may not be able to accommodate every audience question,” explained LWV Debate Chair Alice Pernick, “but we try to include questions covering as many different topics as possible from the audience and avoid duplication.” 

This is the first election since congressional and state legislative district lines have been redrawn, hence some candidates may be new to local voters. The League encourages all citizens to come and hear all the candidates, to learn about their positions and to make an informed choice on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.  

The League also provides additional voter information, such as the location of each polling place, and a ballot preview detailing what is seen on the ballot (including candidates in races not participating in the debate and ballot propositions) here. Voters can easily access customized election information by entering their street address and zip code on the website.  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here