Carson, CA — Carson residents will have a chance to talk with two candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot at a Community Candidate Meet & Greet from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Darrow’s New Orleans Grill, Carson.
The free event is sponsored by The Carson Compass and 3-D Printing. Space is limited and registration is required.
The evening will feature two candidates; Ayanna Davis, a Democrat running for California’s 65th Assembly District and Mike A. Gipson, a Democrat running for the State Board of Equalization, District 3.
The meet and greet will emphasize personal interaction, providing attendees an opportunity to become better acquainted with the candidates and their perspectives on public service.
For The Carson Compass Publisher Ta Lese Morrow, the gathering represents another opportunity to strengthen civic engagement by creating a space where residents can connect directly with those seeking elected office.
“An informed community is an empowered community,” said Morrow. “At The Carson Compass, we believe civic engagement goes beyond Election Day. It begins with creating opportunities for residents to meet the individuals seeking to represent them, ask meaningful questions and engage in conversations about the issues that matter most. This event is about bringing our community closer to the democratic process, one conversation at a time.”
The gathering continues the publication’s efforts to make local and state elections more accessible to Carson residents while encouraging informed participation in the democratic process.
Billed as “Two Candidates. Two Races. One Community Conversation,” the gathering is meant to give residents a chance to meet the candidates, hear from them directly and ask questions about local issues.
The two races are connected. Gipson, a Carson resident first elected in 2014, is termed out of the 65th Assembly District seat, which covers Carson, North Long Beach and Compton, among other nearby communities. Davis is running to succeed him. She serves as Vice President of the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees. She faces Republican Lydia A. Gutiérrez, whose ballot designation is public school teacher.
Gipson is seeking the Board of Equalization seat for District 3, which covers all of Los Angeles County. He faces fellow Democrat Samuel P. Sukaton. The Board of Equalization advises county assessors, sets the taxable value of property owned by utilities and railroads and hears some taxpayer appeals. Its broader tax-collection duties were transferred to other state agencies in 2017.
Mail ballots have already gone out to registered voters. The event offers residents who haven’t yet voted, and those still weighing their choices, a chance to question candidates directly.
