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TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation will host a candidate forum in the tribal council chambers at 4 p.m. Friday featuring candidates running in federal, state and county races. The Cherokee Nation invited all candidates running for the U.S. 2nd Congressional District seat, Cherokee County Sheriff and Oklahoma State House of Representatives District 4 and District 86 to participate in the forum. The Democratic candidate for the U.S. District 2 race, Brad Carson, has confirmed his attendance, as has Libertarian nominee Neil Mavis; the Republican candidate, Andy Ewing, will not participate due to a scheduling conflict.

District 86 incumbent Larry Adair and his opponent, Russell Turner, will attend the forum, as will both District 4 candidates, Ed Brocksmith and Jim Wilson. Cherokee County Sheriff Delena Goss has declined to participate, but challenger George Kirk will be at the forum.

"These forums give candidates an opportunity to address issues that are important to Cherokees," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "More than a fifth of the people living in the Second District are tribal members."

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and its instrumentalities employ nearly 3,000 people in northeastern Oklahoma and have expenditures totaling more than $350 million annually.

The Cherokee Nation has extended invitations to all candidates involved in these elections. The format for the forums will be a question and answer session, with each candidate for each race to be asked the same questions by a moderator. The Cherokee Nation does not endorse political candidates, and is conducting the forum in an effort to educate voters on candidates’ positions on political issues. The public is invited to attend.