By Natalie Kim

WALNUT – On Tuesday, March 15, approximately 40 people showed up at a Candidate Forum before the April 12 election in the city of Walnut.

The event was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the East San Gabriel Valley. The candidates who participated included Andrew Rodriguez, Dino Pollalis, Bella Cristobal, Betty Tang, Nancy Tragarz (incumbent), and Eric Ching (incumbent).

The six council hopefuls are vying for the three available council seats that are currently filled by Tony Cartagena (who after 16 years of service is not running), Nancy Tragarz, and Eric Ching. The event began at 7 p.m. and was moderated by League of Women Voters President Rosie Fabian.

The candidates had one minute for an opening statement, and one more minute to answer questions from the audience. The candidates answered questions covering topics such as term limits for Council members, public safety action items, and plans for combating traffic congestion.

Following the audience questions, the candidates concluded with a two-minute closing statement, and then were able to mingle and speak to audience members individually.

The election will take place on Tuesday, April 12. Residents over 18 who have registered to vote are eligible to vote, and election information will be available in English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and Tagalog.