FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - A meet-and-greet with some of the candidates for local and state office is slated to be held Thursday at SunBros Café. The event will function as a town hall Q&A with the candidates in attendance, as well as a chance for Flagler County residents to meet their potential elected officials in person.
SunBros owner Travis Sundell is choosing not to release the full list of candidates ahead of time, a decision he explained in an interview Monday. "This forum is not necessarily for a voter to come show support for any particular candidate as much as it is to see other candidates in other races," Sundell said. "We have limited space so if one particular candidate has 60 people show up to show support, it takes away from the other races."
The issue arose in the 2021 Palm Coast mayoral election, when one candidate or another often had dozens of supporters flood into a candidate forum, at times causing disruption. Even when done without the candidate's knowledge, it's been known to throw off the balance of an otherwise neutral setting.
Still, a few candidates have announced their participation on social media. Namely, Florida House of Representatives candidate Darryl Boyer and County Commission candidates Paul Anderson, Kim Carney, and Fernando Melendez. Two other unspecified candidates will also be in attendance, according to the event's Facebook page.
Also important to Sundell is that candidates don't know what questions are coming before they hear them. "There is no script in life, there shouldn’t be one for a politician running for office," he said. "I am fine with all the candidates showing up Thursday with no notes at all. The less paper the better. That just means it is actually coming from them and not what they think we want to hear or some advisor."
Location: SunBros Café (301 Moody Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136)
Doors: 5:30 pm
Event: 6:00 pm
Admission: Free
