Early voting begins Thursday for the 2016 primary election, with a number of key races on the ballot. There’s the presidential race, the Senate race, and the “Connect NC” bond proposal – and at the local level, there are also four open seats on the Orange County Board of Commissioners, with nine candidates in the running. (All nine candidates are Democrats, so the BOCC races will be decided in the primary: whoever wins the Democratic nomination will be running unopposed in November.)
Four of those nine candidates are competing for two seats representing Orange County’s District 1, covering Chapel Hill and Carrboro: incumbents Penny Rich and Mark Dorosin and challengers Jamezetta Bedford and Gary Kahn.
Which BOCC candidates should get your vote? What do the candidates have to say about the future of Orange County?
On Wednesday, WCHL’s Aaron Keck welcomed Rich, Dorosin, Kahn and Bedford to the studio for an informal, hour-long conversation about Orange County’s biggest issues. Part 1 of their forum focused on education and economic development; Part 2 focused on housing, social justice, and social services.
Listen to Part 1.
Listen to Part 2.
Tune into WCHL on Friday at 6 pm as Aaron hosts incumbent Renee Price and challenger Bonnie Hauser, the two candidates running to represent District 2 (northern Orange County). Next Monday at 3 pm, Aaron will host the three candidates vying for an at-large seat on the Board: Mark Marcoplos, Matt Hughes, and Andy Cagle.
Early voting runs through Saturday, March 12; primary day is Tuesday, March 15.
Visit this page for early voting locations in Orange County.
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