Mayoral candidates will face off in East St. Louis forum

Candidates for East St. Louis mayor will face off during a forum Monday at New Life Community Church at 1919 State Street.

The candidates forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

The East St. Louis NAACP Branch 3013’s East St. Louis Political Action Committee and the Political Action Coalition are sponsoring the event. The coalition includes local civic and social organizations, among others, a release states.

The election is April 4.

“It is my hope that this forum will allow the candidates to share their platforms and the community to be able to ask questions on what positive impact their platform will have on them,” East St. Louis NAACP President Robin Carey-Boyd said in the release.

The NAACP is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse any candidate, the release states.

Incumbent Mayor Robert Eastern III is facing three challengers: Charlie Powell III, Marie Franklin and Eddie Bass. All candidates have confirmed that they will participate in the forum, the release states.