College Hosts District Attorney Forum

10/22/2012 

Local politics take center stage Tuesday night at SUNY Cortland, when the College hosts a forum for the two candidates for Cortland County district attorney.

Democrat Mark Suben, the incumbent district attorney, and Republican Keith Dayton will discuss their public policies and respond to questions at 7 p.m. in Sperry Center, Room 205.

SUNY Cortland Distinguished Service Professor Robert Spitzer will moderate the event, which is hosted by the College’s Political Science Association.

“Students have organized this completely and I think it’s a great credit to them,” Spitzer said. “It underscores the importance of local issues to SUNY Cortland students and the idea that they are affected by their local government.”

The candidates, who are seeking a four-year term as Cortland County’s top prosecutor in the Nov. 6 election, won’t directly debate back and forth with each other, Spitzer said.

Rather, they will respond to questions and offer their points of view on various issues, he said.

The audience is invited to bring its own questions.

Suben, who previously served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and as a senior assistant district attorney in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, has held the Cortland County District Attorney’s seat since 2008. He also appears on the Working Families Party line.

Dayton previously served as Cortland County’s public defender for 12 years. He’s also listed on the Conservative Party line.

Tuesday’s event is the second of two scheduled forums between the candidates. They participated last week at a similar event attended by nearly 100 people at the Cortland Elks Club.

Election Day polling places can be found on the Cortland County Board of Elections website.