Second Candidate Forum Coverage

The full video of the second candidate forum is available here from CGTV (for the previous candidate forum click here). A lot of the local coverage focused on the Democratic primary U.S. Congressional candidates for IL13. The News-Gazette had a little bit about the County Board candidates in District 6 and 10 towards the end. From the News-Gazette Tuesday:

Incumbent Charles Young, a University of Illinois retiree, said he wouldn’t necessarily commit to voting with the Democratic caucus to select the Champaign County board chairman.

To be “quite honest, you got some funny-actin’ people within the party,” said Young, who said it’s important to be nonpartisan once elected.

His opponent, Busey bank manager DeShawn Williams, said he would.

More at that full article here. Below are some brief overviews of the County races and links to that portion of the forum.


Champaign County Board 6:

Video link to this portion here. Candidate information and links for the District 6 race here. Dr. Charles Young, the incumbent, focused on his desire for reforms and an independent and non-partisan approach as opposed to being a traditional politician. DeShawn Williams raised concerns about addressing gun violence locally and getting more information about County government to the public. Other topics included addressing poverty, jail consolidation, the County Executive form of government, and other issues.

It's probably fair to note that DeShawn Williams comments aligned more closely with the Democratic majority on the County Board on issues such as choosing a chairman and policy. Dr. Young's repeatedly took aim at other Democrats on the board and the Democratic County Executive. His criticisms continued through his closing statements, complaining about sneaky, deceptive and corrupt ways.

Champaign County Board 10: 

Video link to this portion here. Candidate information and links for the District 10 race here. Mary King, the challenger, began by highlighting that the previous holder of the District 10 seat, Dr. Tanisha King-Taylor, supported her as a replacement with a shared vision. Vacancy appointments have been a major issue of contention for the County Democratic Party recently (more on that at a previous Cheat Sheet post here). The incumbent, Connie Dillard-Myers, introduced herself by highlighting her long ties to the community and history working with the local Democratic Party.

King and Dillard-Myers both stated their priorities on jail consolidation concerns. King highlighted facilities issues, especially jail consolidation and reducing total beds under criminal justice reforms. Dillard-Meyers additionally supported a needs assessment and emphasized the need to look at the issue through the lens of the ongoing ramifications of slavery and discrimination in our society.

On choosing a chairman, Dillard-Myers was adamant she would support a Democratic Chair, but one that best suits District 10, while King said she would advocate independently, but respect the final choice of the Democratic caucus. Other topics included gun violence, poverty, and diversity on the board.

The forum ended with Dillard-Myers criticizing her predecessor for leaving due to her career. Mary King countered that King-Taylor had been a long-time resident prior to her career change. She argued that economic realities shouldn't exclude those under 50 from running for office. She again raised concerns about the appointment process. Dillard-Myers strongly argued against excluding African-Americans like her from the board and strongly criticized other Democratic Party cliques. While arguing for inclusiveness over divisiveness she alluded to accusations from her appointment.


County Board 9 Explanation:

At the end of the forum the League of Women Voters explained that the forum format requires both candidates to agree to attend. In the case of District 9, Democratic Candidate Jennifer Straub agreed to appear, but her opponent Cynthia Fears declined to appear. This made a forum impossible under the LWV rules. In the words of the moderator, the League "does not do interviews."