The Surry County Tea Party Patriots have announced a series of candidate forums which will begin later this month at Veterans Memorial Park in Mount Airy.

These forums are aimed at allowing voters to learn about candidates’ positions on various issues in anticipation of elections in November, and for office-seekers of all persuasions to outline their qualifications and campaign goals.

“We’re not calling them debates,” Paula Stanley, a Tea Party Patriots representative from Pilot Mountain, explained Thursday afternoon. That will be evident with the format of the events, which will defy the usual practice of having all candidates for a particular office appearing on the same stage.

“We’re not going to put candidates up against candidates,” Stanley said.

For example, the first forum on Aug. 30 will include Graham Atkinson, incumbent Democratic candidate for sheriff, and Eddie Harris, a Republican seeking the South District seat on the Surry County Board of Commissioners.

Organizers also are hoping to have Bill Hamlin, the incumbent county commissioner for the Central District, present at the first forum — but as of Thursday his plans for attendance were uncertain, according to Stanley.

“We’re planning on having them every other Monday night,” Stanley said of the series of forums, with the final one set for Oct. 11.

In addition to that date and the initial gathering on Aug. 30, the series also will include forums on Sept. 13 and Sept. 27. All are slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the meeting hall at Veterans Memorial Park on West Lebanon Street.

The candidates confirmed for the Sept. 13 forum are Dan Kiger, Republican challenger for sheriff, and R.F. “Buck” Golding, another GOP candidate seeking the Central District seat on the county board.

There is a chance the Sept. 13 forum could be moved to Elkin High School, pending an attendance confirmation from Commissioner Jim Harrell, whose South District seat encompasses that area. Stanley explained that it would be easier for district residents to attend if the event is held in Elkin, pending Harrell’s involvement which has not been finalized as yet.

On Sept. 27, Garry Scearce, Republican candidate for a Mount Airy District seat on the county board, is slated to be on the program along with Sarah Stevens, incumbent member of the N.C. House of Representatives, also a Republican.

The last forum on Oct. 11 will include incumbent state Sen. Don East, a Republican, and Kate Appler, Democratic candidate for the Mount Airy District seat on the county commission.

Stanley said the Tea Party Patriots have yet to hear back from Ric Marshall, Democratic candidate for state Senate, concerning an invitation to appear at one of the forums.

Only one candidate has flat-out rejected the invitation. “Randy Wolfe declined to participate,” Stanley said, explaining that Wolfe, a Democrat, believes those likely to attend will be supporters of his opponent, Stevens.

However, the organizer stressed that the forums are non-partisan events that don’t seek to promote one party or candidate over the other.

“We have Democrats, we have independents, we have Republicans,” she said of the local Tea Party movement that has been building momentum in recent months. “It’s not about party.”

The format for the upcoming events is designed to make sure the integrity of the political process and each candidate is maintained. Organizers don’t want them to become mudslinging affairs with office-seekers criticizing their opponents’ positions.

“We want to know what they want to do,” Stanley said of each candidate.

To that end, a list of questions will be prepared for every office involved, and members of the public who attend also can suggest questions for possible inclusion which they will drop into a box at the start of each session. Every office-seeker also will be allowed time to outline their qualifications.

“We won’t allow random questions,” Stanley said.

“This is not going to be confrontational,” she added of the forum content.

“We’re trying to make this as positive an experience for everybody as we can.”