Candidates for the 3rd Hampshire District state representative seat debate on Wednesday, June 15, at the Amherst Survival Center. From right are candidates Lawrence O’Brien, Eric Nakajima, Bonnie MacCracken, speaking, Sara la Cour, Solomon Goldstein-Rose and Vira Douangmany Cage and Larry Parnass and Karen Brown, both of whom asked the candidates questions.
Candidates for the 3rd Hampshire District state representative seat debate on Wednesday, June 15, at the Amherst Survival Center. From right are candidates Lawrence O’Brien, Eric Nakajima, Bonnie MacCracken, speaking, Sara la Cour, Solomon Goldstein-Rose and Vira Douangmany Cage and Larry Parnass and Karen Brown, both of whom asked the candidates questions. Credit: CHRIS LINDAHL

AMHERST — All six candidates running for the 3rd Hampshire District seat are expected to participate in a debate focused on economic issues and business affairs Tuesday.

The 90-minute forum, sponsored by the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, begins at 7 p.m. in the Town Room at Town Hall.

Julie Marcus, president of the chamber’s board of directors, said Monday that each candidate will make two-minute introductory and concluding remarks, and respond to four questions that were developed from a recent survey of chamber members.

In having two-minute responses to each question, Marcus said the hope is that the candidates can provide answers in more detail than they were able to in a debate last week at the Amherst Survival Center.

“We have doubled the response time so people have more substantial responses,” Marcus said.

The district includes all of Amherst and Pelham and Precinct 1 of Granby. A primary election is scheduled for Sept. 8, with the winner representing the Democratic Party in the Nov. 8 election.

The candidates are Eric Nakajima, former executive director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute; Vira Douangmany Cage, member of the Amherst School Committee, former organizer for the ACLU of Western Massachusetts and member of the state Asian American Commission; Solomon Goldstein-Rose, a former member of the Amherst School Committee and recent Brown University graduate; Lawrence O’Brien, a former member of both the Massachusetts Teachers Association board and the Amherst School Committee and a social studies teacher at Belchertown High School; Bonnie MacCracken, a professional property title examiner and member of Amherst Town Meeting and the Democratic State Committee; and Sarah la Cour, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District.

Stephanie O’Keeffe, former chairwoman of the Amherst Select Board and a member of the chamber, will serve as moderator.

Marcus said no audience questions will be allowed, but voters are encouraged to meet the candidates following the forum.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.

Scott Merzbach is a reporter covering local government and school news in Amherst and Hadley, as well as Hatfield, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury. He can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5253.