Student Leadership NORTH (SLNorth), a leadership development program that empowers North Fulton students, has announced they will host two political debates this fall, giving North Fulton area voters the chance to hear directly from candidates for the Georgia General Assembly and the Fulton County Commission — with high school students leading the way.
SLNorth’s Secretary of State Ambassador team will moderate the house, senate and Fulton County Commission debates in September and October.
The team has spent several months preparing for the events, developing the questions they will pose to candidates and coordinating logistics for both debates. On debate night, team members will serve as moderators and timekeepers, guiding the conversation and holding candidates to the clock.
Georgia House and Senate debate
The first debate will take place Wednesday, September 16, in the auditorium at Chattahoochee High School (5230 Taylor Rd, Johns Creek). A meet-and-greet will begin at 6 p.m., with the debate running from 6:30–8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Participating candidates include:
- State Senate, District 48: Shawn Still (R) vs. Laura Murvartian (D)
- State House, District 48: Scott Hilton (R) vs. Adam Cleveland (D)
- State House, District 50: Azure Duan (R) vs. Michelle Au (D)
Fulton County Commission debate
The second debate will take place Monday, October 5, at Rivermont Country Club (3130 Rivermont Pkwy, Johns Creek). There will be a meet-and-greet at 6 p.m., and the debate will run from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Participating candidates for the District 1 seat include:
- Bridget Thorne (R) vs. Maggie Goldman (D)
About the Secretary of State Ambassador Team
The Secretary of State Ambassador program is a student-led initiative within Student Leadership NORTH that gives high schoolers hands-on experience in civic engagement, election education and nonpartisan public discourse.
This year’s team includes:
- Achyut Deshpande, Chattahoochee High School
- Anish Balakumar, Alpharetta High School
- Arjun Madhok, Alpharetta High School
- Chloe Choi, Northview High School
- Claire Kwon, Northview High School
- Jonah George, Johns Creek High School
- Nanditha Bhaaradwaj, Innovation Academy
- Neha Vajrala, Northview High School
- Olivia Koh, Johns Creek High School
- Prinsha Chanda, Chattahoochee High School
- Rahul Patkar, Alpharetta High School
- Sarah Greenbaum, Northview High School
- Sheppard Finley, Centennial High School
“It is always so impressive to see these young students soak in all the current events and come up with relevant questions for the candidates, always remaining fair and impartial,” said Irene Sanders, executive director for Student Leadership NORTH.
Both debate events are free and open to the public.
For more about Student Leadership NORTH and the Secretary of State Ambassador program, visit, studentleadershipnorth.com.
