The Frisco Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs division will host a State and County Primary Election Candidate Forum from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 at Grace Church, located in Frisco Square at 8440 Grace Street in Frisco. The forum is free and open to all guests.
A news release stated that Tony Felker, president/CEO of the Frisco Chamber, and Lindsey Juarez, editor of Community Impact Newspaper Frisco, will moderate the forum, which will be split into party primary portions.
“The Frisco Chamber believes that our business community has a huge stake in how our state and local governments are led,” Felker said in the release. “As the Voice of Business, we want to make sure that we are at the forefront of developing that relationship between our elected leaders and candidates and the business community.
According to the release, candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties have been invited to participate in the forum. The release explained that candidates will participate alongside those running in their specific primary to allow the best comparison of candidates within a primary election.
“Frisco sits in both Collin and Denton Counties, meaning we have several primary elections for many different offices,” Shona Huffman, director of Governmental Affairs at the Frisco Chamber, said in the release. “Candidates not participating are still welcome to attend and meet voters.”
Participants in the forum will include House District 106 from the Denton County side of Frisco and Senate District 8 from the Collin County side, in addition to candidates running for County Judge in both counties.
Candidates confirmed to attend the forum include:
House District 106
Clint Bedsole – Republican
Jared Patterson – Republican
Michael Rhea – Democrat
Ramona Thompson – Democrat
Senate District 8
Angela Paxton – Republican
Phillip Huffines – Republican
Mark Phariss – Democrat
Collin County Judge
Chris Hill– Republican
Scott Johnson– Republican
Danyell Lanier – Democrat
Denton County Judge
Andy Eads– Republican
Brian Chaput (D, Texas Senate District 8), Willie Hudspeth (D) and Diana Leggett (D, Denton County Judge) are unable to attend the forum.
“Many don’t realize the importance of primary elections in Texas,” Huffman said in the release. “This is an opportunity for voters to hear from the candidates directly and gain insight on where the candidates stand on issues important to the future of Frisco and surrounding communities. Voters should seek to become educated and discover which candidates truly understand the issues and needs.”
The Primary Election will be held March 6, but early voting begins February 20 and runs through March 2. This single party ballot will determine which candidates will be on the general election ballot in November.
The release reminded that voters may only vote in one party’s primary election. Huffman advised confirming one’s voting location as both parties do not always vote in the same. Information on voting locations for early voting and on voting day can be found at FriscoChamber.com.