photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The Douglas County elections office at 711 W. 23rd St. is pictured Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.

Douglas County residents are invited to a primary forum on Saturday for candidates in the County Commission and the district attorney races, hosted by the Lawrence NAACP and the League of Women Voters.

The forum will be at Watkins Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St., starting at 1:30 p.m. with Democratic candidates for the district attorney’s office, incumbent Suzanne Valdez, Dakota Loomis and Tonda Hill. The candidates will be available for informal visiting after the forum from 2:30 to 3 p.m., according to a release from the League of Women Voters of Lawrence and Douglas County.

The forum is focused on candidates who have primary challengers, but those without challengers, like Republican candidate for DA, Mike Warner, are invited to the event and are welcome to visit with residents during the informal visiting time, according to the release.

The forum will continue at 3 p.m. with candidates for the Douglas County Commission followed by time for informal visiting from 4 to 4:30 p.m.

Incumbent Commissioner Shannon Reid will face off in the August primary against Lawrence City Commissioner Lisa Larsen for District 2, which includes North Lawrence, eastern Lawrence around downtown, Grant Township and the portion of Wakarusa Township north of Lawrence.

Two Republicans, John Landon and Pam McDermott, have filed for District 3, which includes western Lawrence, the city of Lecompton and five townships: Willow Springs, Marion, Clinton, Kanwaka and Lecompton. The winner of the Republican primary will face Commission Chair Karen Willey in the general election.

There will be a primary election for Democratic candidates Gene Dorsey and Mike Kelso for District 4, which includes southeastern Lawrence, Eudora and Eudora Township, the portion of Wakarusa Township between Grant Township and eastern Lawrence. The winner of that primary will face Republican Timothy Bruce and Libertarian Steve Jacob on the November ballot.

District 5, which includes south Lawrence, southern Wakarusa Township, Baldwin City and Palmyra Township, will have a primary election between Democrats Erica Anderson and Nicholas Matthews. The winner will be joined on the November ballot by Libertarian Kirsten Kuhn and Republican Rich Lorenzo.

Early voting begins on July 17 for the primary races and ends on Aug.5, with primary election day polling on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Early voting for the general election begins on Oct. 15 through Nov. 4, with general election polling on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.