By Paul Gable
A debate has been scheduled between the two candidates in the race for Mayor of Conway.
Incumbent Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy and challenger Ken Richardson have agreed to debate the issues facing Conway on October 25, 2023, at the Johnson Auditorium, E. Craig Wall College of Business Administration, Coastal Carolina University, 119 Chanticleer Drive West, Conway, SC.
The City of Conway Chamber of Commerce and the Edgar Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at CCU have joined hands to host the debate.
The debate will begin at 6 p.m. The capacity of the Johnson Auditorium is approximately 210 persons.
The debate is free and open to the public with reserved seats. Each campaign has received 70 tickets. If you want to attend the debate, call either campaign to request your ticket. The event will be livestreamed for those who can’t obtain a ticket.
From debate sponsors:
Patrons should arrive early for parking and for security clearance. Tickets are required for entry into
Johnson Auditorium. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and seating will be first-come, first-served. The capacity
of the auditorium is approximately 210 people. Tickets will be allotted as follows:
• 70 tickets to Blain-Bellamy campaign
• 70 tickets to Richardson campaign
• 50 tickets for CCU students, faculty, and staff
• 20 tickets for Conway Chamber of Commerce
Each campaign is responsible for the distribution of their allotment of tickets. Members of the public
will not be able to reserve tickets through the university – they must go through either campaign or the
Conway Chamber of Commerce. CCU faculty, staff, and students (with a valid ID) may visit the
Wheelwright box office for tickets.
Coastal Carolina University will provide an on-line viewing link to the candidates prior to the event.
This link may be shared on social media and other platforms at the discretion of the candidates.
DEBATE OUTLINE AND RULES
The following is an outline of the debate proceedings and the rules which will govern the engagement
between the two candidates.
1) Debate Schedule:
a) Debate Introductions
i) Welcome
ii) Moderator Introduction
iii) Candidate Introductions
iv) Announcement of format and rules
b) Opening Statements
i) Each candidate has 3 minutes to present their opening statement.
• (Candidate A then Candidate B), determined by pre-debate coin toss
c) Question and Answer Segment
i) Conway: Where We Live
• Questions will focus on issues of concern to residents
ii) Conway: Where We Work
• Questions will focus on issues of economic concern
iii) Conway: Where We Play
• Questions will focus on tourism and visitors to Conway
iv) Ready To Lead
• Questions will focus on personal qualifications for leadership
d) Closing Statements:
i) Each candidate has 3 minutes to present their closing statement.
• (Candidate A then Candidate B), as determined by pre-debate coin toss.
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This debate will be an excellent opportunity for Conway voters to compare the two candidates for mayor with respect to the qualities of Experience, Vision and Leadership to determine who you, the voter, believes is best qualified to lead Conway city government for the next four years.
The Edgar Dyer Institute and the Conway Chamber of Commerce are to be congratulated for making this debate available to the public either in person or on livestream.
If you are a voter in Conway and you can’t get a ticket, make sure you make arrangements to view the livestream. It is expected the campaigns will make the video available on their websites after the event so voters can go back and view it as many times as desired.
On a personal note, I hope the local tv stations will also make arrangements to either televise the event live or record it and make it available to the public after the event on one of their digital channels.
If you are a Conway voter, don’t miss this event.
Speak Up…