Candidates for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District Joe Kent, R-Yacolt, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washougal, will face off in a debate held by the League of Women Voters on Oct. 15.
The two are vying for the seat held by six-term incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground.
Five newspapers — The Chronicle, The Columbian, The Daily News, Illwaco’s Chinook Observer and the Skamania County Pioneer — are co-sponsors of the debate. Journalists from each of the news outlets will prepare questions for the candidates, who are facing off in the Nov. 8 general election.
Herrera Beutler was elected in 2010 to represent the 3rd District and then was re-elected five times before her Aug. 3 primary defeat by Kent and Perez.
Four chapters of the League of Women Voters from Clark, Klickitat-Skamania, Lewis and Cowlitz counties are debate hosts.
“The 3rd Congressional District serves a diverse region,” wrote League of Women Voters of Clark County Vice President Judie Stanton in a news release. “And we are including journalists from throughout the district to make sure the candidates address issues that are of concern to all of their potential constituents.”
The district stretches from Clark County north to Lewis County and from Pacific County on the coast to Skamania County in the east. The district also includes Wahkiakum County and a portion of Thurston County.
The 101-year-old nonprofit League is well known for its history of hosting nonpartisan debates and candidate forums in cities, counties, districts and states throughout the country.
Stanton noted the campaign for the 3rd District has drawn extensive attention, including coverage by The New York Times and The Washington Post, in part because the two candidates hold distinctly differing positions on a number of issues, including abortion and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
“As always, because of our experience and our commitment to impartiality, the League is up to the task of conducting a nonpartisan event that will provide voters with important information about the candidates and their positions,” Stanton added.
Clark/Vancouver Television, a government-access cable channel, will handle production and air the debate live. TVW, Washington’s public affairs network, also has agreed to air the event live.
The debate will take place at 2 p.m. at the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St.
Seating will be very limited. Debate organizers said the location has production facilities to allow for live broadcasting and the ability to share feeds with other television and radio operations.
Independent and commercial radio and television stations in the region that request links will be permitted to air the debate in full as well, Stanton said. No candidate will be allowed to edit the footage for campaign purposes.
Topics for questions will be solicited from the journalists as well as members of the public. The League will screen the questions for subject matter and bias and the journalists will be asked to review them as well.
The League of Women Voters of Clark County is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy, according to the release. Membership in the League is open to all.
