Madison County Republican Central Committee Condemns Collinsville Daily News for Disenfranchising Voters in Candidate Forum

Collinsville, IL --The Madison County Republican Central Committee strongly objects to the Collinsville Daily News’ handling of its upcoming Candidate Forum on Saturday. The event, which is based on consultation with the Edwardsville League of Women Voters (LWV), has chosen to disenfranchise voters by barring Derrick Keith Cox, the incumbent candidate for Collinsville Township Supervisor, from participating.

According to the event’s rules—which the Collinsville Daily News crafted after seeking advice from the League of Women Voters (LWV)—Cox is not allowed to speak simply because his opponent, Chuck Oberkfell, declined to attend. This policy contradicts the LWV’s own past practices, which traditionally allow candidates to introduce themselves for five minutes even if their opponent is absent. By enforcing a rule that deviates from the League’s precedent, the Collinsville Daily News is directly preventing voters from hearing from all candidates

"This forum is supposed to serve the voters, not protect candidates who refuse to participate," said Derrick Keith Cox. "By refusing to let me introduce myself and share my qualifications, the Collinsville Daily News is actively preventing the people of Collinsville from hearing directly from a candidate who wants to serve them. This is a disservice to democracy and the voters we seek to represent."

Adding to the inconsistency, the forum hosted by Collinsville Daily News is allowing Shannon M. Lawton-O’Boyle to participate in the Library Board discussion despite her opponent, Kathleen Murphy, declining to attend. Despite the forum’s assertion that all Library Candidates should be treated the same, this is a separate election, meaning Collinsville Daily News is selectively applying different rules to different races without justification.

The Madison County Republican Central Committee calls on the Collinsville Daily News to immediately reverse its decision and allow Derrick Keith Cox to introduce himself, following the past precedent of the Edwardsville League of Women Voters. Voters deserve a fair and open forum where they can hear from all candidates willing to participate, regardless of their opponent’s decision to abstain. 

Derrick Keith Cox

The incumbent candidate for Collinsville Township Supervisor who was not allowed to participate in the candidate forum