A series of three debates involving 13 of the 16 active candidates in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Henry Waxman will be streamed live today.
The two best-known candidates in the 33rd Congressional District race, former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel and Sen. Ten Lieu, D-Torrance, will not participate in the debates. There was no response to emails sent to both campaigns seeking an explanation about why they chose not to participate.
The debates will be streamed simultaneously on The Young Turks Network website, TYTNetwork.com, and its YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks.
Following the conclusion of the third debate at 3:30 p.m., all three will be posted on the network’s YouTube channel.
Cenk Uygur, a former host on Current TV and MSNBC, will moderate all three debates from The Young Turks Studio in Culver City.
The candidates in the district that includes portions of the South Bay, Westside and San Fernando Valley, were randomly divided into three groups.
The first debate will be held from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and involve Democrats Vince Flaherty, a producer/entrepreneur/historian; Kevin Mottus, an environmental health advocate; and Zein E. Obagi Jr., an educational equality advocate; Republican Lily Gilani, a lawyer/CEO; and Marianne Williamson, an author and entrepreneur who will not have a party preference listed beside her name on the June 3 primary ballot.
The second debate will be held from 12:45-1:45 p.m. and involve Libertarian Mark Matthew Herd, a neighborhood council board member; and Democrats Kristie Holmes, a social worker/professor, and David Kanuth, a defense counsel/entrepreneur.
The final debate will be held from 2:15-3:30 p.m. and involve Republican Elan Carr, a criminal gang prosecutor; Tom Fox, a lawyer, who will not have a party preference listed beside his name on the ballot; Democrats Matt Miller, a public radio host; Barbara L. Mulvaney, a human rights attorney; and Green Party candidate Michael Ian Sachs, an environmental technician.
Before the debates, Williamson is scheduled to campaign with former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and his wife, Elizabeth, a food safety activist, at 10 a.m. at The Full Circle at 305 Rose Ave. in Venice.
The Kuciniches endorsed Williamson in February.
“Marianne is needed in Congress,” Dennis Kucinich said in his endorsement. “She will stand for peace, civil liberties and sustainable policies on issues ranging from food to the economy.”
Williamson is scheduled to speak at Wanderlust Yoga on the Santa Monica Pier at 1:15 p.m.
She was endorsed Thursday by television producer/director Brent C. Roske, a candidate with no party preference, when he announced he was ending his campaign. Roske’s name will remain on the ballot because he dropped out after they were printed.
Williamson was endorsed Friday by EVOLVE, a group of Bay Area activists.
Carr was endorsed Friday by talk show host Dennis Prager, who praised him as “that rare person who embodies what good people of both parties most admire in an American — courage.”
“He has walked the walk in defending America against real evil abroad and as a gang prosecutor in defending American against evil at home,” Prager said on his nationally syndicated radio program, referring to Carr’s service in the U.S. Army in Iraq.
“In a time of increasing cynicism regarding our political institutions, this brilliant and idealistic man can help rekindle faith in those institutions.”
Lieu was endorsed by the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters on Thursday.
“Ted Lieu has been a long-standing advocate for working men and women at the local level and in Sacramento,” said Randy Thornhill, the council’s vice president.
“He knows the issues that are important to carpenters — job creation, training, public safety and a healthy environment. He will continue to fight for these issues and for working families in Congress.”
