Voters gather at Tivoli for Owen News 'Meet the Candidates' forum

Community engagement took center stage on April 20 as approximately 80 residents gathered at the Historic Tivoli Theatre for a primary "Meet the Candidates" forum. Hosted by The Owen News, the event provided a platform for voters to hear directly from individuals running for both local and state office ahead of the upcoming primary election.

The evening began with doors opening at 5:30 p.m., allowing constituents a chance to mingle before the formal program commenced at 6:30 p.m.

Candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties were invited to participate with each attending candidate allotted two minutes to introduce themselves and outline their platforms.

Candidates in contested primary races participated in a deeper Q&A session moderated by Nicole DeCriscio, Executive Editor of The Owen News. Candidates received the topics of the questions ahead of time, and DeCriscio used questions and topics suggested by members of the public while preparing for the event.

The forum featured a wide range of offices appearing on the 2026 primary ballot, including candidates for State Senator (District 39) and State Representative (District 46), county commissioner, county council, sheriff, coroner, surveyor and county prosecutor.

Organizers emphasized the importance of hosting such events to foster civic engagement.

"Our mission is to provide reliable, fact-based information that helps our community make informed decisions," said Travis Curry, President of The Owen News Board of Directors. "The forum served as a live extension of the newspaper's reporting, aiming to create direct accountability between residents and those seeking to represent them."

For those who missed the live event, a special election section featuring candidate questionnaire responses was published in the April issue of The Owen News, with video coverage of the recent candidate forum available on The Owen News' Facebook page at facebook.com/share/v/1NsuPKu9cC/.

"Local elections affect people's everyday lives, but they don't always get the attention they should. We're grateful to the candidates who participated and to everyone who showed up and engaged," DeCriscio said. "We're happy to be able to serve our community by creating more ways for people to access information beyond what's in print."

The 2026 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, May 5.

The Owen News will host another candidate forum ahead of the 2026 General Election, with the event set to take place at the Tivoli on Oct. 19.