This Sunday 6/29: 34th Middlesex Candidates' Forum (for Carl Sciortino's old seat)

[ron_newman]

This Sunday, June 29, from 7 to 9 pm, there will be a candidates' forum for the 34th Middlesex seat in the Mass. House of Representatives. This district includes Somerville wards 4 and 7 and adjoining areas of Medford. Until April 4, it was represented by Carl Sciortino.

All five candidates for the seat (4 Democrats and one independent) have been invited to participate. Carl Sciortino will moderate the event.

The forum will take place at Tufts University's Barnum Hall, room 008, 163 Packard Avenue in Medford.

The forum is sponsored by Cambridge-Somerville for Change, Progressive Democrats of Somerville, and Medford for Massachusetts.

Comments

[courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com)]

Hi Ron,

According to a comment by Keri Lorenzo on Somerville Patch, Erin DiBenedetto will not be participating in this forum. You may want to adjust your post.

See here: https://somerville.patch.com/groups/elections/p/meet-your-state-rep-candidates-somerville?yPos=2100

[ron_newman]

All the candidates were invited, so I'm going to let the post stand as is. Any idea why she would choose to avoid such an forum?

(I don't live in the district and probably won't be attending the event.)

After speaking with Keri Lorenzo...

[courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com)]

The fact that the hosts are directly connected with a specific candidate's campaign and that the moderator was photographed wearing the campaign sticker of that candidate makes the forum seem biased, therefore, it was decided weeks ago that Erin would not participate.

Re: After speaking with Keri Lorenzo...

[ron_newman]

Thanks. Do you know which of the three host organizations are connected with another campaign?

(I was once an active member of PDS, but have sort of fallen away over the years, for no particularly good reason. I know nothing about the other two organizations.)

RE: Re: After speaking with Keri Lorenzo...

[courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com)]

From what I was told, Cambridge-Somerville for change and PDS.

Personally, if this is true I think both organizations should disclose it.