Are you ready for the primary? Here’s where to catch all the candidate debates in SLO County
San Luis Obispo County is about two months away from the next election, and candidates are gearing up to try to win your votes in a slew of debates ahead of the primary.
Nine candidates are fighting for three SLO County Board of Supervisors seats up for election June 7, and a number of Central Coast candidates are running for seats in state Legislature.
Over the coming weeks, those candidates will talk about their platforms and a myriad of local issues during scheduled debates as they fight to represent the region.
As election day approaches, here’s a look at who is running, and when they are expected to debate:
Who’s running for the Board of Supervisors?
Three Board of Supervisors seats are up for election this June — two seats with four-year terms for Districts 2 and 4, and one seat with a partial term for District 3.
The governor appointed Dawn Ortiz-Legg to the board after Adam Hill’s death during his term, so District 3 will have a special election to fill the seat for the next two years.
District 3 will vote according to its pre-redistricting boundaries, while Districts 2 and 4 will vote according to their new boundaries.
Meanwhile, four people are competing to represent District 2. Incumbent Bruce Gibson is running for his fifth term. Also on the ballot are Atascadero business owner Geoff Auslen; Bruce Jones, a retired orthopedic surgeon who moved to Templeton in 2017; and John Whitworth, a Marine Corps veteran and business owner.
Three people are running to represent District 3 for the next two years. Ortiz-Legg is vying to keep her seat on the board, while insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden is running for office a second time, after challenging Adam Hill for his seat in 2020. Retiree Arnold Ruiz is also in the race for District 3 Supervisor.
District 4’s race may look familiar, with incumbent Lynn Compton competing with Arroyo Grande City Councilmember Jimmy Paulding for office yet again. Paulding challenged Compton for her seat in 2018, and lost by only 60 votes, the Tribune reported.
Where to watch Board of Supervisor candidate debates
Five forums are currently scheduled for candidates running for the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors.
First up, the Cambria Chamber of Commerce and San Luis Obispo League of Women’s Voters will hold a Zoom forum for District 2 candidates on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Attendees can register for that event online.
Meanwhile, housing and homelessness promise to be hot-button issues this election — and voters want to specifically know how candidates will address them.
On April 19 at 5:30 p.m., the San Luis Obispo Citizens Commission on Homelessness and Mustang News will co-host a homelessness-specific debate for all Board of Supervisors candidates. The debate will take place at the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center.
People can submit questions for the candidates at the commission’s website, actionslo.com. Members of the commission and Mustang News will select the questions, and Sam Blakeslee, commission co-founder and a former senator, will moderate the debate.
Attendees must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to get in.
The Latino Outreach Council and League of Women Voters has also planned a debate for both District 3 and District 4 candidates on April 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Pismo Beach City Council chambers, according to Latino Outreach Council president C.R. Lara. Each pair of candidates will debate for an hour and a half, with the District 3 candidates starting at 5:30 p.m., and the District 4 candidates at 7 p.m., Lara said.
On April 28, the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce will host a District 2 candidate forum from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Atascadero High School gym.
People can register online and submit questions before the debate.
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce will hold a debate for candidates from all three districts and the county Clerk-Recorder’s Office on May 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Octagon Barn.
What about candidates for the state Legislature?
Besides local government races, at least one candidate forum will also be held in San Luis Obispo County for those running for state office.
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce will host a forum with candidates for the 30th Assembly District on April 26 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
The chamber is expected to ask candidates about legislation relating to local businesses, jobs, housing and homelessness, education and climate change.
Five candidates are competing to represent the 30th Assembly District.
Dawn Addis, a Morro Bay councilmember and co-founder of Women’s March San Luis Obispo, ran for state Assembly in 2020 and is running again.
Also on the ballot are Zoë G. Carter, the director of operations at the Monterey County Business Council; John Drake, a Cal Poly student who recently ran in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election; Vicki Nohrden, who ran for state Senate in 2020; and Jon Wizard, a retired firefighter and police officer who now serves on the Seaside City Council.
The event will take place at SLO Public Market. Tickets cost $20 for members and $50 for non-members. Employees of chamber-member businesses can also receive member pricing for the debate.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 1:26 PM.
