Public Invited to Free Event by Cumberland 9/12 Project with co-sponsors Conservative Christian Center and Cumberland County ACTION for May 15 Primary Election
York Candidate Forum on Saturday, May 12 announced by CCC and York County Action
A free Candidate Forum will be held this Tuesday, May 1, 2018 from 6:30 PM to 9 PM at the Carlisle Fire and Rescue, 177 Carlisle Spring Road, Carlisle, PA 17013, (717) 243-2125 with WHP-580 News personality Ken Matthews invited to serve as the Forum Moderator. All candidates running in the May 15 primary election have been invited to participate in the free event open to the public, sponsored by Cumberland 9/12 Project, and co-sponsored by Conservative Christian Center and Cumberland County ACTION.
(note: most of the candidates shown will be at one or at the other of the two Candidate Forums – on Tues. May 1 in Carlyle or on Sat. May 12 in York)
The May 15 Primary will choose the nominees of the Republican and Democratic Party running for U.S. Congress, Pennsylvania State house and Senate, and Pennsylvania Governor and Lt. Governor.
There will be a short “meet and greet” immediately before and after the free Forum. The results of a “Candidate Survey” questionnaire will be released at the event, with potential video appearances and a straw poll by the audience after they have heard from the candidates and reviewed the new surveys at the end of the Forum.
The audience straw poll will be tabulated to determine the audience’s favorite candidates. A blessing and prayer for all candidates will be the final event of the evening.
Once the straw poll tabulation is complete the announcement of the winners will be made at the Forum and also sent out via news release and posted on some of the participating organization’s websites.
The Candidate Forum and its sponsor organizations do not endorse candidates but help educate voters on the choices they have among the candidates.
Conservative Christian Center, in conjunction with York County Action, will also hold a free Candidate Forum on May 12 at the Upper Room Missionary Church, 1401 Williams Road, York, PA 17402, from 6:30 to 9 PM. While the Forum is open to the public, only those who advance purchase a ticket to help pay for the evening event, are invited to a private dinner with speakers and candidates, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Advance dinner reservations for $25 each, $45 for couple ($15 for students with ID) can be made to York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org.
Candidates who have already confirmed to attend the York Candidate Forum include State Senate candidate, Representative Christine Phillips-Hill, and State Representative Seth Grove. Several of the CCC leadership have indicated that Phillips-Hill, who introduced “Statesman of the Year” award winner, Congressman Scott Perry at the September 30, 2017 Candidate Forum at the Country Club of York, is a favorite for the fall “Statesman of the Year” award at the fall breakfast. Rep. Grove is a past award winner. Both have spoken at numerous meetings of York County Action and Conservative Christian Center.
Also confirmed are Marguerite “Peg” Luksik and Kathleen Coder, candidates for Lt. Governor, James Christiana, III, candidate for U.S. Senate.
All candidates will have a minimum of 3 to 6 minutes to speak to the group, depending on the total number who will attend. York County Action Chairman Emeritus and CCC Advisor, Ron Cohen, has been asked to serve as Master of Ceremonies, and another York County Action Chairman Emeritus and CCC Advisor, Dr. Ken Gibson of the Keystone Bible Institute, will officiate at the traditional prayer for the candidate at the end of the event.
The result of the Survey in both York and Cumberland County – a grading of 0 to 100 score – will be announced at the respective Candidate Forum, and a vote by those in attendance for their favorites, will be done near the end of the evening, so that the results can be tabulated and announced.
Ross Cleveland, the South Central PA Coordinator for one of the sponsor organizations of the Candidate Forum, Conservative Christian Center, said that the major purpose of the event is “to increase participation by conservatives and church-going Christians in the May 15 primary and to make sure that our citizens can vote with an informed conscience.”
York County Conservative Christian Center Chairman Emy Delgaudio said, “we appeal to Church-going people of faith to remember it is their duty to render unto Caesar, by casting an informed vote for the candidates who are closest to your beliefs in the May 15 primary and we are pleased to help you do that by providing you the candidate survey responses and grades and a chance to hear those candidates who are interested in your vote, at this Candidate Forum.”
Candidates shown in the photo at the top of this article: Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Seth Grove,m Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill, Rep. Stephen Bloom, Art Halvorson, Rep. DawnKeefer, Paul Mango, Peg Luksilk, Diana Vaughan, Doug Mastriano, TRravis Shooley, Jean Foschi, Ben Hornberger, Daniel Kiss, Torrent Ecker, Barbara Gleim, Barry Cockley, John Wardle, Joshua Hershe.
Candidates who would like to obtain the Candidate Forum (the same for York and Cumberland) or to confirm their wish to attend and have time reserved for them to speak at either event: southcentralpa@conservativechristiancenter.org and for York, York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org.
Candidates who attend the York County event may purchase a dinner ticket to be with our best supporters and activists and then have preferential seating advance-reserved and held for them at the main event, just as was done at the May, 2017 event. We note that several of the candidates who ignored our dinner and came later, then complained that their primary rival had better seating at the front of the meeting room. Yes. Indeed, and so it shall be again.
We thank the candidates who want to get to know our leadership, supporters and activists enough, and whose dinner donation will help pay for our event. And yes, they would then have a bit of an advantage in so doing.
We are grateful to all candidates for running, for taking the time to formulate and explain their policy position on the issues of interest to our voters and especially those who took the time to complete our “values voter survey” and return it to us, and to attend our event.