At-Large City Councillors and their challengers will all come to the South End Library tomorrow, Thursday, November 3, at 6:30 PM, to take part in the Candidates' Forum sponsored by the Rutland Square Association and the Friends of the South End Library (FOSEL). The Forum will be moderated by Stephen Fox, chair of the Rutland Square Association, which straddles both Districts 2 and 7. Click here for a map of District 2.

The District 2 race features City Councillor Bill Linehan in a competitive battle with his challenger Suzanne Lee, who in an upset won the three-candidate  preliminary election held in September. The at-large councillor contest is heating up as well, with four well-liked incumbents--Felix Arroyo, John Connolly, Ayanna Pressley and Stephen Murphy-- facing a powerful challenger, former City Council President and previous mayoral candidate Michael Flaherty, who has made it no secret that, if elected,  he plans to twist Tom Menino's mayoral thumb as he sees it pressing on the doings of the city council. Two other at-large candidates, Sean Ryan and Will Dorcena, have been invited to attend the event as well.

The Forum will start at  6:30 PM with a half-hour focus on the District 2 candidates, who will make a brief presentation, answer questions of the moderator and respond to each other's statements. This is to be followed by a similar line-up for the at-large candidates. The final part of the evening will be open for questions from the audience. A South End volunteer will time the answers of candidates and members of the audience to ensure fairness.

Seating is limited, and the event will start promptly at 6:30 PM. The South End Library is located at 685 Tremont Street, between West Newton Street and Rutland Square.