Gastonia’s NAACP hosts candidate meet and greet

GASTONIA, N.C. — People in Gaston County got a chance to meet candidates for local office one-on-one before the November election.

Sunday afternoon, the local NAACP branch hosted an event they call “Breaking Bread” at the Rotary Pavilion in Gastonia.

They provided food and music for the non-partisan event. 23 candidates showed up to answer questions face-to-face. Sean Bates, the chapter president, said they want to go beyond the traditional candidate forums.

“We wanted to do something where people could have more individual interaction as opposed to group questions,” Bates said. “So it could be more based in what’s important to that individual, as opposed to just hearing what might be the overall. So you could have a more personal experience with that candidate.”

Some attendees told Channel 9 that the event was the first of its kind in Gaston County. Organizers said they plan to do this regularly.

WATCH: Charlotte City Council 2025 Primary: Mayor Vi Lyles wins; two incumbents lose seats on city council

This browser does not support the video element.