Politics & Government

Mayor's Campaign Questions October Debate

Campaign Manager for Mayor Kevin Dumas questions whether opponent had inside information.

To The Editor:

As the Campaign Manager for the Committee to Re-Elect Mayor Kevin J. Dumas, I would like it to be known that Mayor Dumas or his Campaign has not been called, approached or contacted in anyway regards to a true debate to take place in the next 5-weeks in the City of Attleboro. This is even after we have requested throughand numerous times, starting in July, for there to be multiple debates in the City.

Presently, we have been invited to the Agudas Achim Candidate’s Forum on November 3. Although we will be attending, with 40 Candidates on the ballet in Attleboro and all getting a chance to talk at the there will be little time to accomplish a true debate format for the mayoral candidates.  Albeit informational, our dommittee does not consider this a debate with Mr. Churchill as even the sponsors are calling it a forum.   

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However, one Candidate for Mayor seems to have inside information on an upcoming debate.  Monday morning, Mr. Churchill published on his Facebook page the following:  

Ronald Churchill for Mayor: Their will be two debates. The first is set for October 12th at City Hall and the second debate will be November 3rd at the Congregation Agudas Achim.

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How is it possible that candidate Churchill knows of the date and location of a mayoral debate when the Mayor of Attleboro has yet to be informed? Could it be that Mr. Churchill has been given inside information of a debate being planned? If that is the case, how do we know that he will not also be given the questions and answers beforehand?   

As the Manager of Mayor Dumas’ Campaign - I have personally posted the following to Mr. Churchill's Facebook page:

Ronald Churchill for Mayor: Mr. Churchill - I am Mayor Dumas' Campaign Manager. Neither the Mayor nor I have received ONE phone call or request for a debate with the exception of the "Agudas Achim All Candidate Forum" scheduled for the beginning of November. So the fact that you "know" about a debate on October 12 at City Hall would lead me to believe that you have "inside" information about the debate (hardly fair) from the sponsors when they have not even contacted the Mayor. Were you given the questions ahead of time also??

As of this writing, I have not received a response.

Make no mistake, Mayor Dumas’ Campaign would like there to be multiple debates in the City. We have repeatedly requested this and made ourselves available to Ron Churchill and his campaign committee. Either the Committees of both candidates come forward to work out the details or sponsoring groups work "impartially" with both Candidates regarding the rules, location and program.  If one candidate (i.e. Ron Churchill) already has a heads-up on the location and date when the Mayor has not even been contacted, how can we know this debate will be planned in a fair and honest way?

For the record, Ronald Churchill did commit to Mayor Dumas in a phone conversation that he would attend a debate at on October 13th but later backed out.

Sincerely,

Joseph Solis, Campaign Manager


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