Page 11 – Why Wolfgang Schoor Decided To Not Participate In Specific Debates
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A Different Approach to Candidate Debates
As a candidate for Mayor of Thunder Bay, I have made a deliberate decision about how I will participate in the 2026 municipal election.
My campaign will not participate in organization-specific mayoral debates or candidate forums hosted by individual nonprofit, advocacy, or community organizations.
This is a consistent campaign policy. It is not directed at any particular organization or group.
It is a decision about how I believe voters should have the opportunity to examine candidates and their positions.
Encouraging Voters to Take an Active Role
I believe choosing a Mayor is an important responsibility for every voter.
Rather than relying primarily on appearances at individual events, campaign visibility, advertising, or name recognition, I want voters to take the initiative to learn about the candidates.
That means asking questions:
- What does each candidate actually propose?
- What experience do they bring to the position?
- What problems do they believe Thunder Bay needs to address?
- What are their priorities?
- How do they propose to deal with the challenges facing the city?
- What evidence supports their proposals?
- How do their positions compare with those of the other candidates?
A mayoral debate provides only one setting in which candidates can present their views.
I believe voters should have the opportunity to look beyond a single evening or event and examine the candidates more fully.
My Campaign Has Chosen a Different Way of Engaging Voters
Many political campaigns depend heavily on visibility.
Yard signs, advertising, repeated appearances, and public events can make one candidate more familiar to voters than another.
My campaign is deliberately taking a different approach.
I want people to seek out information about the candidates, examine their positions, ask questions, and make their own assessment.
This philosophy is consistent with my decision not to rely on traditional yard signs as a primary means of attracting attention.
The purpose is not to make myself unavailable.
The purpose is to encourage voters to become active participants in the election.
Not Participating in a Specific Debate Does Not Mean Avoiding Public Discussion
I remain available to discuss my ideas and positions.
My campaign will continue to make information publicly available through wolfgangschoor.com, including my platform, policy positions, articles, background, experience, and other material relating to the 2026 mayoral campaign.
I am also prepared, where appropriate, to respond to questions in writing or meet directly with people who want to understand my positions.
My position is therefore not:
“I don’t want to answer questions.”
It is:
“I have chosen a different way of making my positions available to voters.”
A Consistent Policy
This approach applies consistently to invitations from nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, community organizations, and other organizations holding candidate-specific debates or forums.
It is not a decision based on whether I agree or disagree with an organization.
I respect the work that community organizations and nonprofits undertake in Thunder Bay, and I appreciate the time and effort involved in organizing public events during an election campaign.
My decision concerns the format of organization-specific candidate debates, not the value of the organizations themselves.
Where appropriate, I am prepared to make my positions available in writing so that members of those organizations and the broader public can consider them.
I Will Continue to Engage With the Public
Not participating in a particular debate does not mean withdrawing from the election or from public discussion.
I will continue to communicate my ideas, publish my positions, respond to questions, and make information about my campaign available.
I believe voters should be able to examine a candidate’s ideas in more than one setting and have sufficient information to make their own decision.
The Decision Belongs to the Voters
Ultimately, the election belongs to the people of Thunder Bay.
Every voter has the opportunity to investigate the candidates, examine their positions and records, ask questions, and decide which candidate they believe should become Mayor.
My campaign’s decision not to participate in organization-specific debates is part of a broader approach:
Look beyond the campaign visibility.
Ask questions.
Examine the candidates.
Compare their positions.
Then make your own decision.
That is the approach I have chosen for my 2026 campaign.