Candidates to Debate Issues in State Rep. Race

09/02/2014
By Contacts for media:  Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

* Media Advisory *

Thursday, Sept. 4
6:30 p.m.

What: The six candidates vying to become the next state representative from Massachusetts’ 18th Middlesex District will debate the issues before voters during this event for the UMass Lowell community and public.

Participants are expected to include unenrolled candidate Fred Bahou; Democrats Brian Donovan, James Leary, Rady Mom and David Ouellette, whose names will appear on the primary ballot; and Paul Ratha Yem, a Democrat who is running a sticker campaign as a write-in candidate.

Presented by UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion and The Sun newspaper of Lowell, the debate will be among the first of many community events at the new student-engagement center at UMass Lowell’s University Crossing, which includes features like the new flagship bookstore, the River Hawk Shop and the Crossroads Cafe, both of which are open to the public.

The debate comes less than a week before voters head to the polls in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary. The winner will face Bahou in November’s general election in the race to replace Kevin Murphy, who left the seat in April to become Lowell’s city manager. The district serves constituents in Lowell’s Acre and Highlands sections and includes University Crossing and portions of UMass Lowell’s East Campus.

Frank Talty, co-director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion and assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, will moderate the debate. Panelists will include Christopher Scott, The Sun’s enterprise editor; UMass Student Trustee Phillip Geoffroy, a UMass Lowell political science major; and Soben Pin, managing partner of Lowell-based KhmerPost USA.

Where: University Crossing, Moloney Hall, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.