League of Women Voters to hold candidate forums

As election season gears up, the local League of Women Voters chapter has scheduled a month of events to educate the voter base for the November 7 ballot.

The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Bellingham-Whatcom County will hold a county executive forum at the Whatcom County Courthouse on Wednesday, September 27. Incumbent candidate Satpal Sidhu, running for his first reelection bid, and challenger Dan Purdy will answer questions from LWV moderators from 7 to 8 p.m. in the County Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham. 

Sidhu led August primary ballots with 34.9 percent of the vote, beating state representative Alicia Rule and county council chair Barry Buchanan to represent the more liberal side of the ticket for the nonpartisan position. 

From the pandemic to the November 2021 floods, Sidhu oversaw the county through multiple crises, and hopes to continue the work that he set out when first elected in 2019. 

Purdy is a political newcomer, having never run for elected office. Now seeking the highest executive position in the county, Purdy touts his 25 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies, including bp’s Cherry Point Refinery. He has garnered endorsements from Port of Bellingham Commissioner Ken Bell and former state senator Simon Sefzik. 

LWV will hold a forum for county council candidates on Tuesday, October 3, 7-8:30 p.m., with appearances from candidates running for districts 4 and 5 as well as an at-large position. They will also hold a forum on the new jail proposition and the Whatcom County sheriff race 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, October 4. 

On October 12, LWV will hold a forum over Zoom featuring Blaine City Council and school board candidates. That will be held online-only from 6 to 8:40 p.m.

If the public has any questions or concerns they would like the LWV moderators to consider, they can submit them to bit.ly/3PpcKin.

More information on upcoming elections and LWV’s continuing forum schedule, as well as virtual forum links, can be found at lwvbellinghamwhatcom.org/election-forums.