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Thursday night’s Virginia Senate District 17 Republican candidate forum will be livestreamed.

The link is https://vimeo.com/event/3309501. The forum, featuring state Del. Emily Brewer, R-Isle of Wight, and Emporia businessman Hermie Sadler will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Paul D. Camp Community College Workforce Development Center in Franklin.

“We hope to have a big crowd in Franklin City for this important discussion with the two candidates, but we understand that many people prefer to watch from home,” said Steve Stewart, Smithfield Times publisher and the forum moderator. “Sound quality during a livestream can be iffy, so we encourage all who can attend in person to do so.”

The forum is sponsored by the Windsor Weekly, The Tidewater News, the Times and the Suffolk News-Herald.

The newly created 17th District covers all of Western Tidewater, parts of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, and extends west to Emporia, Greensville County, Brunswick County and Dinwiddie County. More than half of the district’s registered voters live in Suffolk and Isle of Wight.

The winner of the June 20 Republican primary will advance to meet Del. Clinton Jenkins, D-Suffolk, who is unopposed for his party’s nomination.