Chris Daggett in Person at Oct. 20 Gubernatorial Debate

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Oct 8, 2009 5:06 PM EDT

          Independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett will take part in a forum on Tuesday, Oct. 20, co-sponsored by the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County and Bergen Grassroots, a countywide good government reform group. The Ethical Culture Society's meeting hall at 687 Larch Avenue, Teaneck, will be the forum site. Doors open at 6:45pm and the 2-hour forum will begin promptly at 7.

           Mr. Daggett will be the only one of the three candidates for governor to appear in person, but Ridgewood Councilman Paul Aronsohn will appear to represent the Democratic candidate, Governor Jon Corzine.

           Mr. Aronsohn faced Congressman Scott Garrett in the race for the 5th Congressional District seat in 2006. As a member of the Clinton administration, he worked on foreign policy and national security issues. At the State Department, he served three US ambassadors to the UN: Madeleine Albright, Bill Richardson and Richard Holbrooke. He spent one year as the Communications Director and spokesperson for then-Governor James McGreevey.

           At this writing, the Republicans have yet to designate a surrogate for their candidate, Chris Christie. If one does not appear, the campaign will be represented by an empty chair.

           The debate format will be informal and flexible, much like the traditional New England town hall meeting. Each candidate will have 20 minutes to present his qualifications, after which the moderator will welcome questions from the assembly.

           A good turnout is anticipated because of Mr. Daggett's participation. His candidacy has attracted a high degree of interest and recent polls show his support is now in double digits. Most observers of the Oct. 1 TV debate among the three contenders appeared to agree that Mr. Daggett, the independent and underdog, was the clear winner of this first televised contest of the campaign.

Bergen Grassroots, founded in 2005 and affiliated with Democracy for America, meets regularly, and publicly, on the third Wednesday of each month at 7pm in the ECS auditorium.For more information, write paul@bergengrassroots.org.

According to its statement of policy, Bergen Grassroots is a political activist group whose members include Republican and Democratic Party members as well as independents. Bergen Grassroots supports candidates for office, sponsors forums to educate the public on political and social issues, engages people in the political process, and seeks to inform lawmakers and other officials at every level of government of its policies and platform.

              The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, a welcoming humanist community and its Sunday School, meet at 11a.m. on Sundays at 687 Larch Avenue, Teaneck. For more information, call 201 836-5187 or visit www.EthicalFocus.org.

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Location: NJ