MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM THURS., MAY 16, 2024, 6 P.M
Inademandinglocalelections season across Texas—starting with numerous primary races including county offices in March 2024, with municipal and school board contests (mostly) wrapping up last week—Dickens County still faces a runoff for what many Texans consider a county’s most powerful office: that of sheriff.
With the pending retirement of longtime Sheriff Terry Braly, Dickens County finds itself choosing between two experienced lawmen.
Current Deputy Jay Allen brings an insider’s knowledge of the department—both its strengths and its needs.
Candidate Jerry Schmidt is a former state trooper and a U.S. combat veteran.
To judge by voting numbers in March, and the prevalence of yard signs and political ads, citizens feel strongly that one or the other man can do the job.
But the voters haven’t yet seen these two face the same questions, in person, in the same place.
What can an all-comers candidate’s forum accomplish that partisan coffee klatches or picnics, ads, and door-to-door canvassing can’t?
Each candidate is granted the chance to introduce himself on his own terms, emphasizing his own values, messages and priorities.
We, the audience, get to pose the same (anonymously submitted) questions to each candidate, with each having a freeform opportunity for a response.
Granted, the audience sometimes jumps in with follow-up inquiries, and it’s up to the moderator to keep things in line.
Most important, everyone present gets to hear the same conversation, at the same time, unvarnished and in person.
Every football fan in the Lone Star State supports their teams facing off on an even playing field.
For our all-important Dickens County Sheriff’s election, The Texas Spur and The Spur Area Chamber of Commerce—both nonpartisan supporters of our community’s long-term success—have scheduled a Meet the Candidates Forum for Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Spur Community Center.
Invitations were issued to both of the top vote-getters shortly after the March primary election.
One candidate has by now accepted. One hasn’t yet.
We hope that next Thursday night Dickens County citizens will turn out in record numbers to hear what the candidates have to say. We hope also to see two candidates, fully prepared to make their best, sincerest, most honorable case to the voters they hope to serve.
Election day is Tuesday, May 28; early voting begins May 20.
