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Cornelius News

Jim Morrill to moderate local candidate forum

Oct. 7. There’s been a change in this year’s virtual Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum. Former NC Sen. Jeff Tarte, who was defeated two years ago by Sen. Natasha Marcus, is out as the chamber moderator and Charlotte Observer newsman Jim Morrill is in.

JIM MORRILL

Tarte, a Republican, is the local chamber’s public policy chair.

“The chamber’s public policy chair, currently Jeff Tarte, usually served as moderator for our debates but he is the former senator for District 41 and competed in that race against the incumbent candidate, Natasha Marcus, who is running for re-election,” chamber CEO Bill Russell said.

The District 41 candidates this year are Marcus, a Democrat seeking her second term in Raleigh, and challenger Christopher Cole of the Constitution Party.

Republicans did not field a candidate for this race.

The moderator at the chamber forum two years ago was Jason Colvin, a Lake Norman Chamber board member.

Clark/Bradford rematch

The candidate forum will also include NC Rep. Christy Clark, the Democrat who defeated incumbent John R. Bradford III, a Republican who is seeking to return to the District 98 seat in the statehouse.

For Part One of the reader-driven Cornelius Today Clark/Bradford issues forum, click here.

For Part Two, click here.

It’s Powell vs. Puckett again

Lastly, Mecklenburg County District No. 1 Commissioner Elaine Powell, a Democrat, will face off against Republican Jim Puckett who held the seat until being defeated by Powell two years ago.

The chamber forum will be held in a virtual format Oct. 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm and aired on the WSIC and chamber Facebook pages.

Morrill, a political reporter, has been with the Charlotte Observer since 1981. He is also a contributor to Off the Record, a North Carolina public affairs program on PBS station WTVI in Charlotte.