Porcher and Stewart to Debate

Democratic Mayoral candidate Chris Porcher and Republican Mayor Erin Stewart are expected to face each other in a debate held by the League of Women Voters.

The New Britain Area League of Women Voters has announced that it will hold a candidate debate for candidates for mayor and City Council.

The “New Britain Common Council and Mayoral Candidate Forum” is to be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019. It will be held at Trinity-On-Main, which is located at 69 Main Street.

The debate will be from 1:00pm to 3:30pm.

Porcher has worked for nonprofit organizations in New Britain, including the Human Resources Agency and Klingberg Family Centers. His career has included providing human services and program management. His campaign says, “Chris’s business management expertise is in community organizations, project management, and population health management.”

Porcher was nominated by the New Britain Democrats as their Mayoral candidate in July.

Stewart is running for a fourth term as mayor. A fourth term would make Stewart mayor for eight years, matching her father, former Republican Mayor Timothy Stewart, and bringing the number of years in which New Britain’s City Hall has been under the Stewarts to sixteen.

Stewart’s renomination by New Britain Republicans had been widely expected.

The debate is planned to include three candidates for Mayor. Business owner Deivone Tanksley is a petitioning candidate.

The League of Women Voters says that, at the debate, “Candidates for Mayor and Common Council will answer questions about city issues. Questions will be taken from the audience, screened by LWV and selected by the LWV moderator in order to provide a broad group of questions about city issues.”

The League says that the event is free and that, “All are welcome!”

League of Women Voters says that it,

is a non-partisan, political organization of women and men. We do not support candidates or parties, but we do support issues which are selected by our members. We are involved in Candidate Debates, Voter Registration, Voter Service Activities, we present topical discussions and lobby for League supported issues at the local, state and federal levels. We also enjoy each others’ company!

The organization says that its mission is that, “Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport!”