Candidates for the Nov. 5 special election for the City Council’s District 1 seat have been invited to participate in a forum, held in the district, from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Fingerprints Music, 420 E. Fourth St.

Candidates who have agreed to take part in the forum are Joe Ganem, Elliot Gonzales, Ray Morquecho, Mariela Salgado and Mary Zendejas. Candidates who did not respond to their invitations by the deadline and will not be participating are Shelbyrae Black, Shirley Huling and Misi Tagaloa.

Hosted by the Long Beach Post and the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, the forum will be moderated by the Post’s editorial staff. Questions will be asked equitably to all the participating candidates, though they may not necessarily be the same questions. Questions will not be shared with the candidates or their campaigns in advance and will focus solely on issues of concern to the city and the 1st District.

Questions will also be solicited from the community on social media in advance of the forum, and from the members of the public at the event. The Long Beach Post is not endorsing a candidate in this election and the DLBA is prohibited from supporting any candidate for an elected office

The forum will be a multi-camera live-streamed, professionally produced event and will be broadcast live on all major social media platforms and the Long Beach Post website, and recorded versions will be available for viewing and sharing shortly after the event.

Additionally, a set number of seats will be available for the public.

To submit questions for the debate, email [email protected].