Sheriff Candidates to Square Off Monday in Debate

Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton, Duane Piper, a 25-year veteran law enforcement professional, and Forsyth County Coroner Lauren McDonald will square off for their first debate.

Hosted by the Forsyth County Tea Party (FCTP), the event is slated to run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, March 19 at the , 595 Dahlonega Street, Cumming. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Joe McArthur, a local resident and volunteer with the Tea Party, will moderate Monday’s debate.

"He's just a citizen," said Steve Voshall, chairman of the FCTP. "He's not working on any campaigns or working for anyone or anything. He has no dog in this fight."

The evening will begin with five-minute opening statements by each candidate and three-minute closing statements, according to Voshall.

People in the audience will have an opportunity to submit written questions on 4X7 index cards that will be handed out for the candidates to answer.

"We'll screen those questions to make sure there's no overlapping questions and no crazy questions in there," said Voshall. "And then each candidate will have two minutes to answer the question."

If a candidate answers his question before the two minutes are up, Voshall said he could choose to use the remaining time to challenge a fellow candidate's answer on another question. He can also use the extra time to answer another question that was asked to a fellow candidate.

Paxton, Piper and McDonald are each allowed up to 10 supporters during the debate, but that each candidate is on his own when answering the questions. They are not allowed to defer to those supporters or campaign managers for assistance or help in answering the questions.

Voshall expects a standing-room-only crowd for the upcoming debate.

Read more about the candidates below:

Sheriff Ted Paxton

The Tea Party will host a debate in April for candidates running for seats on the Board of Commissioners and in May among the candidates for the state House of Representatives.

The general primary is set for July 31.