On Thursday, Oct. 12, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce will host candidate debates from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second floor of O’Blarney’s at the Gibson House, located at 221 N. Tower Ave. in downtown Centralia.
“Providing access to the candidates so that citizens can make informed decisions is something we feel strongly about,” Chamber Executive Director Cynthia Mudge said in a news release. “We feel these annual debates are an important part of keeping that commitment.”
Participating candidates will be given time for a personal statement, time to respond to three questions and an opportunity to respond to their opponents.
Debates will be held between the following candidates:
• Russell Barr and Chris Brewer, who are both running for Centralia City Council position 1 at-large.
• Joyce Barnes and incumbent Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston, who are both running for Centralia City Council position 2 at-large.
• Kylie Sexsmith and incumbent Councilor Adrianna Garibay, who are both running for Centralia City Council position 3 at-large.
• Jody Kyes and Karen Laufenberg, who are both running for Chehalis City Council district 4. Laufenberg has yet to confirm if she will participate in the debate, according to the release.
• Dianne Dorey and incumbent Commissioner Peter Lahmann, who are both running for Port of Centralia Commissioner District 3.
For more information on the candidates, look for the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce’s October Business Connections publication in the Oct. 5 edition of The Chronicle. October’s Business Connections will be devoted to the election and include candidate statements, according to the release.
To learn more about the chamber, visit https://chamberway.com/.
