Women voters sponsor candidate forum in Wheaton

Candidates from across DuPage County are scheduled to appear Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Wheaton League of Women Voters.

The candidates include some running for state senator, representative and a variety of county seats.

The forum is at 7 p.m. at the Wheaton Park District Community Center, 1777 S. Blanchard Road. Audience members can attend a coffee at 6:30 p.m. The event is expected to last two hours.

Candidates who said they will attend include:

• State Sen. Carole Pankau, an Itasca Republican, 23rd District.

• State Rep. Sandra Pihos, a Glen Ellyn Republican, 42nd District.

• State Rep. Franco Coladipietro, a Bloomingdale Republican, and his opponent Democrat Jim Hagerty from Roselle, 45th District.

• State Rep. Randy Ramey, a Republican from Carol Stream, and Daniel Kairis of South Elgin representing the Green Party, 55th District.

• DuPage Circuit Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas, a Republican from Elmhurst and challenger Democrat Stan Jagla of Roselle.

• DuPage County Recorder Fred Bucholz, a Republican from Wheaton and David Meek, a Westmont Democrat.

• DuPage County District 4 board member Debra Olson, a Republican from Wheaton, incumbent Grant Eckhoff a Republican from Wheaton, Democratic challenger Richard Dunn of Glen Ellyn, Democrat Dan Bailey of Wheaton and Green Party candidate William Edgar III of Wheaton.

• DuPage County District 6 board member Jim Zay, a Carol Stream Republican, Democrat Dirk Enger of Winfield and Republican Robert Larson from Wheaton.

Candidates who are running unopposed will simply be announced as attending and can distribute their literature, said Jan Kay, president of the Wheaton League of Women Voters.

Candidates running with opposition are allowed to make a two-minute presentation and then have the chance to respond to written questions from the League and the audience. Each candidate then will be allowed one minute to make a closing statement.