ATLANTIC CITY - The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University will host a debate among New Jersey Assembly District 2 candidates 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 in the Fannie Lou Hamer Room at the Stockton Academic Center, 3711 Atlantic Ave. The forum is free and open to the public.
Candidates agreeing to participate in the debate include Democrat Assembly incumbents Vincent Mazzeo and John Armato and Republican challengers former Brigantine Mayor Philip Guenther and Atlantic County Freeholder John Risley.
John Froonjian, interim executive director of the Hughes Center, will moderate the debate.
The 2nd District has featured some of the most competitive and expensive legislative races in New Jersey going back decades. The district's voters don't simply vote the party line, Froonjian said in a release.
In most New Jersey districts, one party controls both the Senate and Assembly seats for years at a time. Legislative representation in the 2nd District has been split between Democrats and Republicans in 10 of the last 15 legislative terms, Froonjian said. That split reflects the competitive nature of the district.
Froonjian said candidate debates allow voters to evaluate the candidates' positions and leadership qualities, providing valuable information on which voters can make informed choices.
We're thrilled to once again partner with Stockton University on this vital part of the electoral process as part of our election coverage, said W.F. Buzz Keough, executive editor of The Press of Atlantic City, which is co-sponsoring the debate.
Partisan campaigning is not allowed on state property. No campaign signs will be allowed on campus property. Members of the public who attend the debate will not be allowed to enter the premises with campaign signs, hats, buttons, T-shirts or any materials with election messages.
