MANSFIELD — Nearly 850 tickets have already been reserved for the 2019 Mansfield Mayoral Debate, scheduled Thursday evening at The Renaissance Theatre.
And it’s not too late for you to also participate in the political event of the year, which may also be attended by about 40 journalists from 18 states who will be in Mansfield for a Solutions Journalism Network summit hosted by Richland Source.
The city’s mayoral candidates — Republican incumbent Tim Theaker and Democrat Don Bryant — will participate in a “live CEO job interview” on the stage of The Ren from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Theaker is seeking his third and final four-year term as mayor. Bryant is in his first year as an At-Large member of Mansfield City Council. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Your presence is also requested and appreciated at the debate. General admission tickets are free and can be reserved at the Renaissance Theatre’s website.
VIP tickets are preferred seating nearest to the stage and are available for $20 each. All proceeds from VIP ticket sales will be donated to the Mansfield Rising project at the Richland County Foundation.
Renaissance CEO Michael Miller and iHeart Radio’s Aaron Hines will serve as hosts for the event, welcoming those in attendance, explaining the ground rules and introducing the candidates.
After offering opening statements, the two candidates will answer questions from a four-member panel of local journalists, including:
— Richland Source Managing Editor Larry Phillips.
— Retired Mansfield News Journal Publisher and Editor Tom Brennan.
— Former WMFD-TV news anchor Brigitte Coles.
— Richland Source City Editor Carl Hunnell.
Questions and topics for the debate will include input gained from local residents through Open Source on Richland Source website and also through our “Talk the Vote” listening tour, a weekly event that has visited each ward in the city.
The final Talk the Vote session is this evening from 6 to 7 p.m. in the SC Events Center in the 6th Ward at 417 Orange St. Click here to reserve your spot in this last session.
Mansfield’s 2019 Mayoral Debate is presented by Richland Source, the Renaissance Theater, iHeart Media in Mansfield, DRM Productions, the North End Community Improvement Collaborative, the Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development, and Richland Young Professionals.
