After blizzard-induced scheduling conflict, mayoral candidates to scramble

After blizzard-induced scheduling conflict, mayoral candidates to scramble

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Some candidates for Chicago mayor are going to show up late to a debate Wednesday evening on the city’s South Side. That’s because of a big league scheduling conflict sparked by the blizzard last week.

Tonight’s debate, organized by the Chicago Defender newspaper, was originally scheduled for last Wednesday until that pesky snow got in the way.

Defender President Michael House says, after the storm, the paper called the mayoral campaigns to let them know the debate had been rescheduled. House says none of the campaigns said they had a conflict, but it turns out they did have one.

A forum on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues had already been scheduled for Wednesday. Organizers for the competing events have tried to find a solution the past couple days, but neither wanted to give up the date.

So, Wednesday evening, some of the candidates will scramble from the LGBT event downtown to the Defender debate seven miles south at the DuSable Museum of African American History.

At least one candidate, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins is skipping the LGBT forum. Her campaign says she was scheduled to speak late at that event, so would’ve missed the bulk of Defender debate.