Jaime and Suzan, with their friend Matt, talk about the campaign, some other stuff, and the campaign. Lots more has happened since this conversation took place, but if you're just starting to wonder where all the junk mail is coming from, this might be a good place to start.
Since this conversation, several public forums for the candidates have been held, and the first campaign finance reports have been filed. From small, grassroots local donations to a largely self-funded and staffed city slicker capital C campaign, to the public airing of personal problems during Council meetings, this year continues to be weird and unpredictable.
Between work and a horrific case of the flu, Suzan has been out of commission for several weeks. Not likely we'll get to all of the candidates, but we're working on getting some interesting perspectives on the City and its elections. Sunil Dasgupta, who hosts I Hate Politics, is interviewing candidates and will be releasing those episodes at some point. You can also check the City of Rockville Election page for candidate statements and recordings of the forums.
Along with the recordings of the official forums, there are unofficial ways to hear how the candidates answer the same questions at neighborhood forums and open houses. Twinbrook is hosting an open house on Tuesday, October 17 at the Twinbrook Community Center, and the West End Citizens Association is hosting a forum on Thursday, October 19 at 7 PM at the Rockville Presbyterian Church. In a year where there's not much differentiating most of the candidates, listening to how they respond to the same or similar questions is a good way to start refining your choices. Too many "I" statements and excessive negativity? Do they talk about themselves in the third person (always fun!), do their stories not ring true? It's great to run into a candidate when they are door-knocking individually, but it can be truly telling to hear them as a cohort and see who might work well together on the dais.
City of Rockville Elections
https://www.rockvillemd.gov/415/Voting-ElectionsGreater Greater Washington
https://ggwash.org/view/91157/rockville-2023-election-endorsementsEast Rockville Civic Association
https://www.eastrockville.org/electionTwinbrook Community Association
https://www.twinbrookcommunity.org/twine-blog/2023/10/7/2023-survey-for-rockville-city-council-and-mayoral-candidatesWest End Citizens Association
https://www.westendrockvillemd.org/New restaurant we talked about: Hello Vietnam
https://www.hellovietnamfood.com/
