First debate slated for 14th Congressional District

Voters interested in the 14th Congressional District race between incumbent Bill Foster and challenger Jim Oberweis have a chance to hear them answer questions about the economy and other topics Sunday in St. Charles.

Both candidates will be present for a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Geneva-St. Charles. The debate and the race is a rematch of a contest decided earlier this year (the March 8 special election won by Foster) after Dennis Hastert announced an early retirement from Congress, but there are plenty of fresh issues to spark the debate.

Oberweis, of Sugar Grove, and Foster, of Geneva, have sparred in recent weeks with differing views on how to address the current economic crisis. That could make the forum an ideal place for voters to make a point-by-point comparison of their bailout approaches.

The forum will also be the first time the candidates have squared off since Foster has been in office, making his votes to this point a likely source of questions from both the media and the audience.

The forum will feature a panel of journalists covering the race who will ask the initial round of questions. Audience members will follow with questions of their own, moderated by the League of Women Voters.

The forum begins at 3 p.m. at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road.

Questions can be submitted for consideration in advance by visiting: lwvgenstc.org.