By By Ali Rockett

Copyright postandcourier

“I haven’t stopped working,” Mitchell said. “I’m going to work in my community because I want the community to be the best community in the city of Charleston.”

Another District 4 contender Luqman S. Rasheed did not attend the event.

Suzanne Allen, who initially filed for the race, withdrew Sept. 12, according to the state’s election website.

District 6 candidate Ben D’Allesandro, owner and manager of D’Allesandro’s Pizza, moved to the area in the ‘90s to attend the College of Charleston and chose to make it his home, he said.

“I want to throw some more perspectives on the City Council,” he said. “The perspectives of the person raising a young family, and the perspective of somebody that has a small business in the downtown Charleston.”

D’Allesandro said one of his passion projects is to make Brittlebank Park “another jewel of downtown.” He wants to see a public kayak, canoe and boat launch and to hold more events there.

Incumbent William Dudley Gregorie has represented District 6 since 2009. Before that, he spent 32 years working at the U.S. HUD in Washington, D.C., and in Columbia.

“My priorities will continue to be public safety,” Gregorie said. “When I talk public safety, I’m just not talking about policing and firefighting. I’m talking about the water, the flooding, storm water, emergency management during disasters.”

Sarah Spangler withdrew her candidacy Aug. 27, just over two weeks after filing, according to the state’s election website.

Councilman Mike Seekings also represents parts of the peninsula in District 8 stretches along the lower peninsula and across the Cooper River to the eastern edge of Daniel Island. He is the only incumbent running unopposed, so he was not invited to speak at the forum, according to Will Whetstone, an organizer with the Peninsula Democrats.

Here’s what candidates said on flooding

“We’re going to have to give some of this (land) back to the ocean. …The sea levels rising, right, and the land is sinking. So when we think about development projects, when we think about road building, when we think about the capacity to have a livable Peninsula, we are going to have to rethink how we live with the water at a fundamental way.” – Aaron Polkey“It took us almost 19 years to even get (the pump station at Huger and King Street) started. Right now, that is starting with the pump station on Huger and King, and you will see a difference in that one next year. We will have that up and running.” – Robert Mitchell“I would look at the flooding and the water before we created any more housing. The entire area up by WestEdge and Fishburne and Haygood. We have to figure out how we’re going to deal with that water before we can build any more buildings right there.” – Ben D’Allesandro“I can see improvements. For instance, going to Burke High School at President and Fishburne street, you had to wade in the water. At Sumter and Ashley Avenue, you had to wade in the water. Now, when the water goes there, it doesn’t stay forever … Once the pumps are in, the water won’t be there at all.” – William Dudley Georgie