League to host candidate forum for state legislative races

The League of Women Voters of the Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove Area is hosting candidate forums for the state House of Representatives Districts 53 and 54 and the state Senate District 27 races in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.

The back-to-back forums are scheduled for the public’s convenience all on the same afternoon, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave. in downtown Arlington Heights. Free and open to the public, the forums are presented together with the library.

The first forum of the day starts at 1 p.m. with the participating candidates for House District 53 Nicolle Grasse (D) and Elizabeth Bauer (R). The second forum starts at 2:15 p.m. with candidates for state Senate District 27, David Mathis (R) and Carina Santa Maria (D). The final forum starts at 3:30 p.m. with the candidates for House District 54, Mary Beth Canty (D) and Joseph Tracy (R).

The forums will be moderated by a League moderator. The public is invited to submit questions for the candidates by emailing them in advance to voter.lwvah@gmail.com by Sept. 30. The audience attending the forum is also invited to submit questions. Questions should relate to specific issues within the district, be appropriate to the office being elected, and be answerable by both candidates. While not required to attend, advance online registration at bit.ly/Forum_Oct2026_AHML is recommended for seat availability.

Recordings of the forums in their entirety will be available for free public viewing several days following the event on the local League’s YouTube channel, accessible at lwvah.org.

The League sponsors these events as a service to the community. The League of Women Voters of the Arlington Heights - Mount Prospect - Buffalo Grove Area is a nonpartisan political organization whose mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government and to increase understanding of major public policy issues through education and advocacy. In its more than 100-year history, the League has never endorsed nor opposed any candidate or political party for public office and works to protect free, fair and accessible elections.