Council President Debate Set for Monday at 7 P.M.

In the midst of an election season that is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested races in recent memory, WCAT, the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce and the Winthrop Sun-Transcript are collaborating to sponsor next Monday night’s Council President debate at 7 p.m. on Channel 3.

“I feel very honored that the individual organizations that sponsor this debate look to me to do this each year,” said debate moderator Ron Vecchia, a WCAT producer, host and former selectman. “I consider myself unbiased, but I feel that I’m up on the issues, and I’m grateful that I get to have a crucial role in the elections.”

Both of the candidates for Council President have agreed to participate in this year’s debate and each will be asked a series of questions by a panel of three questioners representing the three co-sponsors of the debate.

Vecchia has hosted candidate debates at WCAT for most of the major contested elections over the last five or six years, including the previous Council President debates, earlier Selectmen’s debates and a debate for State Senate President, following then-Senate President Robert Travaglini’s decision to retire from the legislature.

Each member of the panel will have a chance to ask four questions of the two candidates, and the candidates will be allowed three minutes to answer each query.

“I think the debates can be very useful for people who haven’t had a chance to get to know the candidates or decided who they want to vote for in November,” said Vecchia. “I look forward to this every election.”