Sioux Falls voters will get side-by-side look at Erickson, Smith in premier mayoral debate
Runoff candidates agree to participate in televised forum hosted by Sioux Falls Simplified, Sioux Falls Live and The Dakota Scout
The two candidates still standing in the race to be the next mayor of Sioux Falls will face off in a pre-runoff debate later this week.
The top two vote-getters in last week’s mayoral election, who advanced to a June 23 runoff election to determine who will succeed outgoing Mayor Paul TenHaken, have agreed to participate in a community-focused forum Friday at Carnegie Town Hall.
Candidates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith will answer policy questions developed with input from a broad coalition of community organizations, neighborhood groups and advocacy organizations from across Sioux Falls.
The debate is being hosted by Sioux Falls Simplified, SiouxFallsLive.com and The Dakota Scout.
The event will be held in partnership with the Sioux Falls League of Women Voters and is free and open to the public.
Doors will open at 4 p.m., with the 60-minute debate beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The debate also will be livestreamed and broadcast through CityLink, the City of Sioux Falls’ YouTube channel and participating media outlets, including Sioux Falls Simplified, SiouxFallsLive.com and The Scout.
Community partners helping shape the debate questions include Downtown Sioux Falls Inc., Startup Sioux Falls, South Dakota Voices for Peace, Sioux Falls Housing, the Sioux Falls Arts Council, Transformation Project, South Dakota Urban Indian Health, Dakota Rural Action and Midwest Street Medicine.
Representatives from the Whittier, All Saints, Pleasant Ridge, Southern Hills and University Heights neighborhood associations are also providing input on topics and questions.
NOTE: The Dakota Scout is an independent organization with editorial decisions made without consideration to our paid advertisers.