Forum held for Evansville mayoral candidates

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - All four candidates for Evansville Mayor spoke at a forum held by the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana on Thursday afternoon.

It took place at Evansville Vanderburgh Central Library.

The winner of the Republican Primary, either Cheryl Musgrave or Natalie Rascher, will face Democrat Stephanie Terry and Libertarian Michael Daugherty in the November General Election.

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The candidates answered questions from the League of Women Voters and attendees.

The questions addressed issues like low-income housing, the relationship between the Mayor’s Office and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, as well as crime.

Musgrave and Rascher were on a similar wavelength, focusing on the mental health side of gun violence.

“I think that you have to make sure that the folks who have guns are legally allowed to have them,” says Musgrave, “and that includes taking them out of the hands of folks who are mentally ill.”

“We need to make sure that we have established a sense of community,” says Rascher, “that we are engaging with people, and that we are aware of individuals that are calling out, that are seeking help.”

Over to Daugherty, the sentiment was similar, echoing Rascher’s thoughts on the mental health crisis in Evansville.

“We have, as Natalie mentioned, a mental health issue,” says Daugherty, “if somebody wants to damage, they’re going to do it with any means necessary. There’s got to be the responsibility of the parents to make sure they lock up their weapons to where the children can’t get it.”

Terry followed suit. She mentioned pulling every resource possible, before bringing up a more personal reason she wants to see the gun violence solved.

“I personally want to see my son go off to college, and not run in fear that he’s going to be shot by a gun. As a community, we have to step up and take charge and ownership of our community in a way that we never have before,” says Terry, “that’s all of us working together.”

It was standing room only as the candidates answered question after question, allowing voters to get a better grasp on their policies and ideologies, before giving their closing statements.

“Making Evansville the best that it can be will take a mayor who can lead and who is ready from day one,” says Musgrave.

“I’m going to get the people. I’m going to find them here in Evansville and make sure that they stay here so we can address all of these concerns and all of the needs that we have,” says Rascher.

“I think at the local level, there shouldn’t be an R, or a D, or an L, or an independent. Politics should just be about the citizens,” says Daugherty.

“I will represent this place, and ensure that everyone feels that ‘E’ really is for everyone,” says Terry.

Here’s the full forum stream from our 14 News Facebook page:

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