A Civic Conversation for the Common Good: Candidate Forum in Mountain Home

On Saturday, November 15, Ozark Forward hosted A Candidate Conversation for the Common Good at the VFW Hall in Mountain Home — a fresh, format-breaking alternative to the typical debate. Designed and moderated by Dr. Gail Choate of the Arkansas Civic Action Network, the event gathered six statewide candidates around a shared microphone and a bold premise: that voters deserve more than soundbites — they deserve to hear how leaders listen, reflect, and lead.

Participants included U.S. Senate candidates Hallie Shoffner and Ethan Dunbar; gubernatorial candidates Supha Xayprasith-Mays and Fred Love; congressional candidate Terry Yarborough-Green; and secretary of state candidate Kelly Grappe. Instead of rebuttals or back-and-forth attacks, candidates explored a series of five thematic questions, from “Why Arkansas, Why Now?” to “The Arkansas I Believe In.” The format, rooted in respect and civic imagination, allowed candidates to share personal stories, reflect on shared values, and model how to bridge differences in an age of division

The forum felt more like a conversation than a campaign event — and that was by design. One attendee, Patricia Kilpatrick, remarked, “That’s the first time I attended a candidate event where I felt a part of the conversation.”

As Dr. Choate closed the event, she reminded the crowd that democracy isn’t just built in the ballot box — it’s shaped in moments like these, where listening leads and community takes center stage.