UPDATE: Candidates to Clash at JCC Rockland

The Candidates’ Forum with state and federal office candidates on Sunday, Oct. 21 at the JCC Rockland is planned to encourage audience participation. 

“All the questions come from the audience and they are written on index cards,” said Linda Berns, vice president and voter service chairperson of the League of Women Voters of Rockland County. “We have a table of people from the co-sponsoring groups to screen the questions.”

Berns expects between 150 and 200 people to attend, a mix of members of the eight co-sponsoring organizations and the general public.  Assembly candidates begin the afternoon program at 2 p.m., followed by Congressional candidates at 3 p.m. and Senate candidates at 4 p.m.

Expected participants include:

• 96th Assembly District – Incumbent Democrat Kenneth Zebrowski. There is no-one running against him.
• 97th Assembly District – Incumbent Democrat Ellen Jaffee and Republican Challenger Joseph Gravagna
• 17th Congressional District – Incumbent Democrat Nita Lowey, Republican Challenger Joe Carvin and We The People Challenger Frank Morganthaler 
• 38th State Senate District – Incumbent Democrat David Carlucci and Republican Challenger Janis Castaldi
• 39th State Senate District  - Democratic Challenger Christopher Eachus. Incumbent Republican William Larkin declined the invitation. 

The hour-long format for each race includes opening and closing statements of two minutes by each candidate and questions from the attendees. The candidates will have one and one-half minutes to respond to each question. The moderator can allow another minute for follow-up.  A timer will be seated in the front row.

The Candidates’ Forum, which is free, is organized by the League of Women Voters, JCC Rockland, Nanuet Hebrew Center, AARP Rockland County Chapter, American Association of University Women Rockland County Branch, Statewide Senior Action Council, National Council of Jewish Women Rockland Section and Hadassah.