Centro Hispano of Dane County will host “Foro de Candidatos Para Alcalde/ Mayoral Candidate Forum” tonight at Centro Hispano, 810 W. Badger Rd., starting at 6:30 p.m.
The event will feature Madison’s two mayoral candidates – current Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and challenger Satya Rhodes-Conway. Lupita Montoto, the program director at La Movida Radio, will moderate the event. Last fall, Montoto was a panelist in the first gubernatorial debate for the state of Wisconsin as Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democrat Tony Evers squared off two weeks before the Nov. 6 election.
“This is the first time I will be doing the moderator thing and I’m very excited and happy about the mayoral forum tonight because, first of all, I know it’s very important for the Latino community to have this type of forum,” Montoto tells Madison365. “That’s a big thing for the Latino community to be involved in this type of forum. All of the questions that are going to be asked tonight by the panelists are questions from the community. Most of the questions will be dealing with Latino issues.”
The Latino Consortium for Action is organizing the event and Centro Hispano will be the host. La Movida will be broadcasting live from the event along with Facebooking Live from 6-8 p.m.
“Nobody knows the questions that they are going to ask other than [Centro Hispano Executive Director] Karen [Menendez Coller], me and the panelists,” Montoto says.
The mayoral forum will be simultaneously translated from English to Spanish.
Foro de Candidatos Para Alcalde/ Mayoral Candidate Forum is co-sponsored by Dreamers of UW-Madison, Omega School, Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County, Latino Support Network, UNIDOS, Latino Professionals Association, Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Latino Health Council, Latino Education Council, Latino Children and Families Council, LUCES, Common Wealth Development, Adelante, and Centro Hispano of Dane County.
“We’re really hoping for a great turnout tonight,” Montoto says. “I believe this will be the first mayoral forum that is catered directly to Madison’s Latino population. The Latino community will have a great opportunity to ask questions about issues that are very important to them in front of Madison’s two mayoral candidates.”
