Civic Association meets District 17 State Representative candidates

More than 50 members of a live audience, and many more St Augustine Beach voters watching a televised broadcast at home, joined Historic City News editor Michael Gold as the three contenders in the Republican Special Primary Election for State Representative from District 17 answered a mix of questions during a Meet the Candidates forum tonight sponsored by the St Augustine Beach Civic Association.

Neither Gold nor Historic City News are known for “softball” questions, so, this evening’s event with Gold as the moderator, may have been “more direct and to the point” than other forums voters could have attended this election season.

“We’ve all heard the District 17 candidate’s speeches; I was with them Thursday night at the St Johns County Republican Executive Committee, they were at the St Augustine Republican Club last night, and tonight, they are here,” Gold prepared the audience and candidates, who did not know exactly what to expect. “We’re going to ask for details tonight, ask some questions specific to each of your campaigns, and I want you to be as specific in your answers as you can.”

The next 45-minute session, available on the City of St Augustine Beach’s website, did not follow traditional canned questions with rehearsed answers in two-minute sound bites. Gold stopped a couple of answers that began to move away from the point and there were a few follow-up remarks to emphasize or clarify a candidate’s answer.

After traditional two-minute introductions by each candidate, Gold presented quotes from sometimes boilerplate remarks from each candidate’s website; putting them on the spot to give specific examples of what they meant and what they would do to accomplish the point, if elected.

Gold challenged each candidate, as the campaigns are coming to a close, to point out differences that they have observed between themselves and their opponents. There were some differences of opinion on the issues questioned, but each candidate was respectful of the other and no tempers flared.