After a last-minute cancellation, the Montezuma County Republican Central Committee reset its county commissioner candidate debate for Monday.
The debate will be held at from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce at 20 W. Main St. and will feature an altered format going beyond the standard, moderator-only Q&A used in past forums.
Vying for the GOP nomination in the June 30 primary are candidates Diane Fox-Spratlen, Rodney Cox and Bonnie Anderson. The seat is currently held by County Commissioner Jim Candelaria and will be determined during November’s general election.
Committee Secretary Cindy Wallace said the format is designed to show voters what the candidates prioritize and how they interact with each other.
The debate will consist of three 30-minute rounds, followed by a mingling session. The first round features moderator-led questions devised by the committee, and the second allows candidates to question and respond to each other directly. The third round is driven by the audience, giving attendees a chance to write questions on slips of paper as they arrive Monday evening.
“Each one of these candidates has their own priorities,” Wallace said.
Anderson previously worked as a director of the county’s noxious weed department and currently serves as executive director of the National Mustang Association’s local division. Cox comes from generations of family ranching, worked in the private sector and has since retired as a local business owner. Fox-Spratlen is a former police officer and currently works as witness specialist for the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Montezuma County League of Women Voters is also hosting a candidate forum June 3 at the County Annex, with more details to follow.
Rebecca Busic, a Democrat, and unaffiliated candidate Dennis Bugg are also running for the commissioner seat.
On Wednesday, the Montezuma County Republican Central Committee is hosting a debate for county clerk between Lenetta Shull and Jerri Frizzell at the Chamber of Commerce.
awatson@the-journal.com
