At the council meeting of Monday, Oct. 17, GOP mayoral candidate Dave Tucker, at the microphone at right, challenged Mayor Michael Venezia to a debate prior to the voting on Election Day. Venezia has yet to agree to a face-off, stating that he has questions that need to be answered.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Republican mayoral candidate Dave Tucker, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, emailed a letter to Mayor Michael Venezia challenging him to a debate. Tucker had originally issued the challenge for a one-on-one debate at the council meeting Monday, Oct. 17. Venezia asked to have the challenge emailed to him.
As received by The Independent Press, the email read, “Dear Mayor Venezia, I am complying with your request to send my invitation to your personal email. As stated in the October 17th, 2016, public portion of the Bloomfield Council meeting, I challenge you to a Bloomfield Town Hall Forum to discuss the issues facing our Town. This forum can take place at a location, date and time of your choosing. In the event I don’t hear from you by Friday, October 21, 2016, I will set it up and inform you of the details. Looking forward to seeing you at the Town Hall Forum. Sincerely, Dave”
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Oct. 18, Venezia said he had not yet seen the email.
“I have a couple of questions for Mr. Dave Tucker,” he said. “Who is going to moderate? Where will it be? And where has he been for the last few months? Why is he doing this now?”
Venezia said he also wanted to ask Tucker why candidates for a council seat were being excluded when in the past — for example when the League of Women Voter conducted the debates — they were not.
“I’m going to raise those questions,” he said. “I have to question why he doesn’t want his council candidates there.”
GOP mayoral candidate challenges Venezia to a debate added by Daniel Jackovino on
View all posts by Daniel Jackovino →