The race for the White House isn't the only fascinating clash for top executive office in 2016. In Grand Forks, the race for the mayor's office also is worth following, with the contest between incumbent Mayor Mike Brown and City Council member Terry Bjerke offering the clearest contrast between candidates in years.
And if you'd like to see it up close and hear the candidates speak about it themselves, now's your chance.
Tonight at 7 in the Empire Arts Center in downtown Grand Forks, the Herald will feature a forum with the 10 Grand Forks City Council candidates and a debate between the two mayoral candidates.
Both the forum and the debate will be free and open to the public.
The event will kick off with the forum. At it, the candidates-who are running in wards 1, 3, 5 and 7, with incumbents Bret Weber and Ken Vein running for re-election in wards 3 and 7, respectively, and wards 1 and 5 featuring open seats-will start by each giving a two-minute opening statement.
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Then there'll be a round of Q&A's, with each candidate being asked a total of three questions by the Herald editorial board and having a minute to respond to each one.
After the forum, the mayoral debate will begin. Like the forum, the debate will start with opening statements by each candidate. But after that, it'll take on a debate format, with the candidates not only answering questions from the editorial board but also rebutting their opponent's statements.
For several weeks, the Herald has been soliciting debate questions and forum questions from readers, and the questions that'll be asked have been informed by readers' responses. We appreciate the suggestions!
And if you have a topic you'd like to see addressed or a question you want asked, you still have time to send it our way. We'll be happy to take a look. Just send your item to letters@gfherald.com or call Tom Dennis, Herald editorial page editor, at (701) 780-1276.
As Herald staff writer Sam Easter wrote on Sunday, "Grand Forks' two mayoral candidates see the city heading in two vastly different directions, and there are obvious differences between the two men." Furthermore, a majority of the council seats are up for grabs, which means the city election on June 17 could mark a pivotal moment in Grand Forks' civic history.
Come see the differences between the candidates, learn more about the issues and watch Grand Forks history unfold for yourself. We'll see you at the Empire at 7 p.m.
