Quiz candidates through TL board

CANDIDATES VYING for elected offices in Luzerne County, including the inaugural county council set to take charge in January 2012, will be hitting the pavement and the airwaves for the next several weeks, asking for your vote.

The Times Leader’s endorsement panel, which plans before Election Day to interview 38 candidates in three high-profile races, wants to hear from readers who have questions for the contenders. Send your questions via email to the editorial page editor by Sunday; we’ll read them all and try to pose many of your queries directly to the candidates during our upcoming endorsement interviews.

• Luzerne County Council. The field of 28 candidates includes Republicans, Democrats and independents, all vying for one of 11 available seats on this newly authorized government body. Beginning next year, the council will replace the traditional, three-commissioner form of government that a majority of county voters decided to scrap on the heals of a widespread public corruption scandal in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

• Luzerne County judge. Seven candidates seek to claim one of six vacant seats on the bench. The contenders are Lesa Gelb, Dick Hughes, Molly Hanlon Mirabito, Fred Pierantoni, Jennifer Rogers, Joseph Sklarosky Jr. and Michael Vough.

• Wilkes-Barre mayor. Incumbent Tom Leighton, a Democrat, faces challengers Lisa Cope, of the Republican Party, and Betsy Summers, of the Libertarian Party.

Your question might pertain to only one candidate; if so, please specify. Or it might be a broad, issue-based question for everyone in a particular race. Some questions – including those alleging character flaws or improper conduct – are unlikely to be used during interviews, but rather will be considered as “story tips” and pursued by our reporters when possible.

Let us – and let the candidates – know what’s on your mind by shaping a well-worded question. Don’t be afraid to ask.

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