A political forum tomorrow night will be the first public arena for the county’s 10 clerk of courts candidates to square off on the issues.

The forum, sponsored by the Dawson County Republican Party, begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the auditorium at Dawson County Middle School.

Each of the 10 candidates in the highly contested clerk of courts election, which will be held in conjunction with the July 20 General Primary, were invited to participate.

“The Dawson County Republican Party understands that the citizens take the right to vote seriously and desire to cast an educated vote,” said Clint Smith, party chairman. “With so many candidates running for this seat, an opportunity to evaluate the choices in person is important.”

Smith said recent events locally and at the state level “have shaken the public’s confidence in ... government.”

The clerk of courts position became available in March when former Clerk of Court Becky McCord resigned amid a criminal investigation into thousands of dollars missing from office accounts.

“People in Dawson are paying attention — especially when the good faith of the taxpayer has been insulted,” Smith said.

“By coming together for public forums, the citizens can be participants in disavowing such headlines and become active in working for the future of their community.”

The Republican Party will also hold a forum in July for the three candidates running for the District 3 seat on the Dawson County Board of Commissioners.

The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce also has a candidates debate planned for 6 p.m. July 9.

The chamber’s event will also be held at Dawson County Middle School.

For more information, contact Clint Smith at clsmith@clintsmith.org.