To the Editor:
On October 22nd, I attended the Candidate Forum hosted by the Maple Valley–Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce. I appreciate the Chamber’s efforts to promote civic engagement and provide a platform for voters to hear directly from those seeking public office. However, I was disheartened by what appeared to be clear bias from the moderator.
During the early portion of the forum, one candidate was given two questions and a follow-up, while another received only one question and a follow-up. This imbalance was noticeable and concerning. Additionally, the moderator nodded in agreement with one candidate’s responses and added a seemingly lighthearted aside immediately after they spoke—referencing not wanting to move grandchildren to a specific city. While the comment may have seemed harmless, it is not the moderator’s place to insert personal anecdotes or references that could be perceived as aligning with a particular candidate. More importantly, it is not the moderator’s job to editorialize a candidate’s responses in any way, whether through commentary, gestures, or tone.
I’ve attended several of these forums in the past and have always appreciated the effort to maintain impartiality and ensure equal treatment of all participants. That standard seemed to falter this time, undermining the integrity of the event.
Candidate forums should be conducted with fairness and neutrality so voters can make informed decisions based on equal representation. When bias is evident, it weakens trust in our community institutions and undermines the very purpose of civic engagement. Forums like these are meant to be reliable spaces where residents can objectively learn about candidates and their positions. When that trust is eroded, it becomes harder for people to feel confident in the democratic process at the local level.
I hope future events will uphold higher standards of impartiality and help restore faith in the systems meant to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Gina Bouker
Maple Valley, Washington
