Local Media Host a Candidate Forum, Fail to Report on Candidate Differences

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Local primary elections are around a month away (August 4th) and even after a forum at Waterfront Park on a mild summer evening on June 29th, most folks are in the dark about the views and biographies of the candidates running against each other.  This is unfortunate, because the candidate forum featured three local media outlets asking questions (Rob Alway-MCP editor, Lois Tomasczewski- COLDnews editor, Steve Ruba- Synergy Radio news director), allowed some audience questions, and yet they each failed to provide any sort of follow-up to that event to inform the people what the candidates said. 

Ruba can be excused somewhat because radio has limitations on how it can present a 90 minute forum in a way that they can fit within a couple minutes of airtime without losing audience.   Alway hasn't yet produced an article on what was said by the candidates, but at least he recorded it on video.  Most disappointing, however, is the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) treatment of the event, reproduced in full below which devoted a large amount of column inches reporting on the event, but if you read it closely, you are no more knowledgeable about how the candidate responded to any question.  It lists most of the questions, but none of the answers as we will see:

Chamber connects voters at candidate's forum

With the Aug. 4 primary election approaching, area residents had an opportunity to meet candidates competing in contested primary races and hear the issues they hope to address if elected during a Candidates Forum hosted by the Chamber Alliance of Mason County on Monday, June 29, at Waterfront Park.

Quite a few people showed up despite the hot temperatures. A strong wind off the lake provided some relief as patriotic musical selections played over a speaker system while people took their seats and the candidates prepared for their moment in the spotlight.

Chamber Alliance of Mason County President and CEO Brandy Miller, who also served as moderator, welcomed everyone gathered with an introduction.

“The Chamber Alliance is pleased to host this event as part of our ongoing commitment to civic engagement and informed voting. Our goal this evening is to provide each of you as voters with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates seeking public office and to learn more about their qualifications, priorities and perspectives on issues important to our community,” she said.

The panel, representing local news media, included Lois Tomaszewski, executive editor of Ludington Daily News and Shoreline Media; Rob Alway, editor-in-chief of Mason County Press; and Steve Ruba, an on-air personality with Synergy Broadcast Group. The panelists asked questions they had prepared as well as some submitted by members of the audience.

Republican candidates for Pere Marquette Charter Township trustee included Ron Soberalski and Mike Wedding. Jennifer Doggett did not attend.

Nonpartisan Ludington mayoral candidates Cheri Stibitz, Carol Hoekstra and Beth Elliott attended.

Republican candidates for the 101st House District included Jaxon Deur and Ben Townsend. Gary Anderson and Rich Vance did not attend.

Republican candidates for the 32nd State Senate District included Kim Cole and Max Riekse.

Democratic candidates for the 2nd Congressional District included Jamie Hill and Clyde Welford. Benjamin Ambrose did not attend.

Each race was addressed separately, with candidates answering questions tailored to the office they were seeking. Each candidate gave a two-minute introduction and answered about four questions, alternating among panel members. Each candidate also was given one minute for a closing statement.

Candidates for Pere Marquette Charter Township were asked how future development could be encouraged while preserving open space and neighborhood character, what experience and perspective they would bring as trustee, and how they would approach larger projects such as countywide trail connectivity, among other topics.

Among the questions posed to the mayoral candidates were their views on social districts, how they would work with developers, how they would resolve disputes such as the city’s disagreement with AndyS, and how their experience prepared them to serve as mayor.

The Republican candidates for the 101st House District were asked what they believed was the most pressing issue facing voters in Branch, Logan, Meade and Sheridan townships; how they would increase transparency and parental involvement in schools while allowing teachers to do their jobs effectively; how they would remain accountable and accessible between elections, particularly when making decisions voters may disagree with; and how they would balance statewide priorities with the unique needs of rural communities.

The Republican candidates for the 32nd State Senate District were asked to describe a time in their careers when they took an unpopular position because they believed it was the right thing to do and how that experience would shape their service in the state Senate. They also were asked what steps they would take to increase transparency in state government and the legislative process, and how they would address housing shortages while serving in Lansing.

The Democratic candidates for the 2nd Congressional District answered questions about protecting specialty crops, whether they support school choice or stronger public schools, and what actions they would prioritize if elected.

Candidates remained after the forum to answer questions from attendees, and several handed out campaign literature.

The Aug. 4 primary election will determine which candidates in contested partisan races advance to the Nov. 3 general election. In nonpartisan races with more candidates than available positions, the primary also narrows the field for the general election.

The Chamber Alliance also reminded voters on its Facebook page that they must vote in only one party’s column and remain in that column on both sides of the ballot to avoid crossover voting, which would spoil the ballot.

Early voting begins Saturday, July 25, and continues through Sunday, Aug. 2. In Mason County, early voting sites include Ludington City Hall Council Chambers and Custer Township Hall. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day during the early voting period. Voters also may request an absentee ballot from their local clerk. Because early voting locations vary by jurisdiction, voters should check with their local clerk or the Michigan Voter Information Center to confirm their assigned early voting site.

Thus, if you didn't go to this forum, like us, the only way you could figure out what local candidates said was to watch the video above, which isn't available on the MCP's normal platform.  This will likely be the last formal forum or debate before the primaries for positions in this county so it should deserve more of a review than it has gotten.

(5:30 into the video):  Pere Marquette Charter Township trustees have an election due to the early resignation of Trustee Andy Kmetz during the first two years of a four-year term.  Board-selected replacement Ron Soberalski faced off against Mike Wedding, who has some experience himself in local government, albeit in another Michigan county.  The best moment came when Soberalski was discretely asked about why he was running as a Republican and he offered his bona fide fiscal conservative credentials over his past identification as a Democrat.  

(21:30 in):  Ludington Mayor candidates Cheri Stibitz, Carol Hoekstra, and Beth Elliot took the stage next, and the audience had a good question in regard to the social districts, with Stibitz claiming that the original social district had not grew since it began with help from her vote as councilor.  It definitely has changed when one looks at the original description of it from February 2021 and the current boundaries as seen in the most current map (shown below), and it has grown without council approval, please compare the two for yourself:

That she hasn't figured that out for herself when she was the one to vote for it and for every time a new application has come to the council since is unbelievably naive on her part or just a poorly-designed lie.  Stibitz would also give an unacceptable response to a question about how the city has handled the AndyS situation and was unapologetic as to how the city mangled that case and believed that the city should be even more involved with such developments in the future (beginning at 35:00 in).  The other two candidates missed good opportunities to shine for both questions when they answered, taking safe answers.  Whichever of them survives the primary need to step up their game for the general election.

Most of the state level primary races had one or more candidates absent, we invite our readers to look at the video and see what these folks said, nothing too radical for their party base, but interesting nevertheless, and worthy of some inclusion in the coverage of the three media that asked the questions at the forum.