Residents are invited to hear from candidates competing in key state and congressional races at a forum sponsored by the Dunwoody Homeowners Association.
The forum is Sunday, Oct. 21, beginning at 2 p.m. and will be at Dunwoody High School, 5035 Vermack Road. The forum is slated to allow for 30 minutes for each race with a meet-and-greet with candidates at 3:30 p.m.
Those attending:
State Senate District 40: State Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) and challenger Sally Harrell.
State House District 79: Mike Wilensky and Ken Wright
6th Congressional District: U.S. Rep. Karen Handel
Handel challenger, Democrat Lucy McBath, did not confirm her attendance with DHA officials, according to a press release.
“Despite repeated contacts to the McBath campaign, Ms. McBath’s representatives have not confirmed her participation and we have acknowledged this as declining the invitation,” DHA President Adrienne Duncan said in the release. “We look forward to hearing from the rest of the candidates in their races.”
McBath and Handel were slated to appear at question-and-answer sessions sponsored by Sandy Springs’ Temple Emanu-El, but those were canceled after Handel said she had a scheduling conflict.
The DHA is a nonprofit group with approximately 1,000 members and served as Dunwoody’s de facto governing board to DeKalb County before the city was incorporated. Candidates regularly campaign at their monthly meetings during election season.
Last year the group made headlines when Handel declined to participate in a DHA-sponsored forum with Democrat Jon Ossoff. Handel and Ossoff faced off in the special election runoff after a “jungle primary” with 18 candidates. The DHA sponsored a forum in that primary with all 18 candidates participating.
Handel went on to defeat Ossoff and take the seat held Tom Price, who Trump had appointed to his cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Price then resigned after criticism for using private jets and military aircraft for travel.