The two candidates vying to become a judge in northern Santa Barbara County are set to face off in a debate at Hancock College on Sept. 30.

Superior Court judge candidates Jed Beebe and John MacKinnon will participate in the forum, which will be moderated by Drew Sugars, public information specialist for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and former anchor for KCOY news.

The debate will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Hancock College forum, building C-40, at 800 S. College Drive in Santa Maria.

The forum is co-sponsored by Hancock College and The Northern Santa Barbara County Bar Association.

Each candidate will have an opportunity to make opening remarks, and will then field questions from the moderator before giving closing remarks, according to event organizers.

Community members can submit questions in advance by e-mail for the moderator to ask the candidates at: questions@nsbbar.org. Questions will be selected prior to the forum.

“We are pleased to support this forum and hope our students and the community take advantage of the opportunity to hear first-hand from the candidates,” Jose M. Ortiz, Hancock president/superintendent, said in a written statement. “As an institution of higher learning, we of course encourage and embrace the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discourse.”

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“This is our opportunity as lawyers in this close-knit Santa Maria legal community to offer first-time voters the opportunity to understand the importance and impact of local elections and excitement of local community issues,” Denise Motter, treasurer of the Northern Santa Barbara County Bar Association, said in the written statement.

The two candidates were the top vote-getters in the June primary, putting them in a run-off for the Nov. 4 election.

September 22, 2008