The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is considering canceling its Rochester Mayoral Forum a week from today if the three Democratic candidates for mayor would rather hold a primary debate.
Democrat Rachel Barnhart wants the chamber to turn its forum into a primary debate between her, Mayor Lovely Warren, and the third challenger James Sheppard.
Chamber CEO Bob Duffy says the forum was supposed to be a session for the group’s members to ask questions of all the candidates, not a one-party debate with a moderator. In a statement issued today, Duffy says the chamber intends to go ahead with that plan, but will cancel its event and release the date if the Democrats want to go ahead and make their own arrangements.
Mayor Warren is committed to the September 7th forum, but has not agreed to more debates to replace the two that were canceled while she was in the hospital last week. Sheppard says he will not debate unless it’s against both of his rival candidates.
Sheppard and the Mayor’s Office have not yet responded to the Chamber’s offer.