Third-party candidate Howie Hawkins excluded from 25th Congressional debate
Syracuse Post-Standard
Mike McAndrew
October 9th, 2008
Democratic congressional candidate Dan Maffei and his Republican opponent Dale Sweetland will discuss issues affecting businesses at a public forum at noon today, but the sponsors are not allowing third-party candidate Howie Hawkins to participate.
The Greater Syracuse Area Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturer's Association of Central New York are sponsoring the $35 per seat forum and luncheon at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Parkway in Salina.
"Our policy has been to deal with the two major party candidates in the interest of time," chamber official Deborah Warner said explaining why Hawkins was excluded. "Historically, that's what both organizations have done when we have done debates."
Hawkins, the Green Populist Party candidate, said he plans to go to the luncheon anyhow to pass out campaign literature.
"Being excluded by the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce is a badge of honor. The Chamber is the only organization in Syracuse that lobbied against the city's living wage ordinance. I'm not going to get the votes of those who want to pay poverty wages. Let the Maffei and Sweetland compete for the pro-poverty vote," Hawkins said today in a response to the exclusion.
Today's event is the only public forum or debate planned in the 25th Congressional District campaign where sponsors are not allowing Hawkins to participate. Hawkins has run in 13 prior elections without success. Hawkins said the Chamber and MACNY did not allow him to participate in their candidates forum in 2005 when he ran for mayor.
Registration for the event begins at 11:30 a.m. Two representatives of the chamber and MACNY will ask Maffei and Sweetland questions about their views on business issues. People at the luncheon may submit questions to ask the candidates, too.
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