Virtual Town Hall with County Commission candidates planned

Posted

Voters will have an opportunity to hear from the three County Commission candidates vying for the district 1 seat during a virtual town hall meeting at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Aug. 13).

The candidates are Jimmy Johns, Christian Whitehurst and Joe McAnarney.

The forum may be viewed on the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page at facebook.com/sjcchamber. It is a part of the Chamber’s Politics in St. Johns initiative.

Audience members will be able to ask questions through moderator Mark Nighbor, Chamber Board of Directors chair.

The hour-long dialogue will be recorded and posted to the Politics in St. Johns webpage at sjcchamber.com/politics-in-st.-johns.

During this unusual year, the Chamber has pivoted to a virtual platform for candidate information and the annual straw poll.

“This live town hall is a new element for Politics in St. Johns,” said Bob Porter, vice president for public policy, St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce. He encouraged residents to learn more about the candidates prior to the discussion.

Politics in St. Johns is the county’s largest candidate meet and greet. The program helps voters “get to know” candidates for public office and directly ask them questions prior to the Aug. 18 primary and the Nov. 3 general election.

“We are pleased that St. Johns County citizens can have access to many candidates and their platforms via our website, so they can make informed decisions for the upcoming election,” said Isabelle Renault, Chamber president and CEO. “We especially thank the sponsors of the 2020 Politics in St. Johns:  Advanced Disposal, Advanced Business Solutions, FPL, Ameris Bank and Northrop Grumman.”

Many candidates have submitted a brief video about their platforms, which are available for public viewing at sjcchamber.com. The Politics in St. Johns website will remain live on the Chamber website through Aug. 19.

The traditional straw poll began Tuesday, Aug. 11, and will be open for voting through Friday, Aug. 14. Members of the public may go to the Chamber’s website (sjcchamber.com) and click on the straw poll logo to register their preferences. Results will be publicized at the end of voting.

Porter added, “The straw poll is less about who wins and more about encouraging and providing people incentive to be informed. The elected officials at every level of government make decisions that affect our lives, and I am happy to see so many people taking advantage of an opportunity that will help them make an informed decision when entering the voting booth.”

Residents can register to vote and review the 2020 candidate list at the county Supervisor of Elections website, votesjc.com.