Candidate Zoom Forum To Be Held October 21

By Mark Evans

mevans@stegenherald.com

The Herald and the Ste. Genevieve County University of Missouri Extension Service will co-host a second virtual candidates forum.

The forum will be held at 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 21, on Zoom.

The forum is a long-running tradition, occasionally hosted by the Herald alone, but frequently put on in conjunction with the University of Missouri Extension Service

On July 29  a candidate forum was held prior to the August 4 primary. At that time it was assumed that it would be the only forum, since most general election races would not be contested locally.

However, the decision was made to go ahead with a general election forum featuring candidates for County Public Administrator and Second District Commissioner.

It is anticipated that Public Administrator candidates, incumbent Democrat Mary Jo Ramer, and Republican challenger Robin Naeger will take part.

Also expected to participate are the two Second District Commissioner candidates, Republican Randy Ruzicka and Democrat Tony Ritter.

Co-moderators will again be Herald  editor Mark Evans and Estrella Carmona, county engagement specialist for the extension service.

The event will again be livestreamed. The July 29 forum was viewed live by mote than 1,200 people. It was them put on the Ste. Genevieve Access Television’s Youtube channel. This will again be the case.

Carmona and Evans will again broadcast from the University Extension office in the Progress Sports Complex, while the candidates will be safely at home

“My original thought had been to just do the primary election forum,” Evans said. “However after some discussion, and with some input from others, we decided to go ahead with a general election forum, even tough it will be smaller.”

It will probably last about half an hour, with each of the four candidates being asked three or four questions.