Primary election debate to take place Saturday

A primary election debate will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center.

InMaricopa is partnering with UltraStar, Maricopa Monitor and Maricopa Chamber of Commerce to hold the debate, which will feature candidates running in primary elections this election season.

It will be held in one of UltraStar’s theaters, which seats up to 275 people.

“We felt this was a no-brainer to host this event,” said Adam Saks, general manager for the Multi-tainment Center. “We at the Ultra-Star Multi-tainment Center and the Ak-Chin Community, have a vested interest in everything that is going on in this region and we want to do everything we can to support and create access for local residents to their local candidates and learn their stances on the issues.”

Hot-button issues that are anticipated to be discussed include the local economy, immigration, education, transportation and floodplain issues.

City council candidates will debate first from 8 to 8:55 a.m., followed by Congressional District 1 candidates from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and Legislative District 11 House and Senate candidates from 9:30 to 10 a.m.

There are 10 people running for four City Council seats: Peg Chapados (incumbent), Lee Feiles, Marty Hermanson, Rachel Leffall, Vincent Manfredi, Patrick Melvin, Nicholas Sheppard, Nancy Smith, Rich Vitiello and Henry Wade.

Chapados, Hermanson, Lefall, Manfredi, Melvin, Sheppard and Wade will be competing for four-year terms on the City Council of which there are three seats available.

Feiles, Smith and Vitiello are vying for the opportunity to fill Leon Potter’s council seat for the remaining two years of his term. Potter left the Council in March.

The primary election is Aug. 26. Six of the seven candidates currently competing for a four-year term will advance to the general election, while two of the three competing for the two-year term will make it to the general election.

Three Republican candidates are challenging Demcrat incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick for her seat in Congress, Adam Kwasman, Gary Kiehne and Andy Tobin.

Kirkpatrick is running unopposed in the Democrat primary, and Kwasman, Kiehne and Tobin will all compete for the opportunity to face her in the general election on Nov. 4.

The battle for the Legislative District 11 state Senate seat will be between Democrat Jo Holt and the winner of the Republican primary between Steve Smith and Scott Bartle.

There are two seats in the House of Representatives, the candidate for which are Mark Finchem, Jo Grant, Vince Leach and Holly Lyon.