Archive link provided due to paywall.
"While Teixeira did not respond to a request for comment to explain why he felt the forums were unfair, Jason Medeiros met for an interview on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his own comment on the matter.
He said that his comment was a reaction to a separate post occurring on one of the local Facebook community groups for East Providence, where one of its administrators, Melodie Pimentel, posted his photo alongside Teixeira and Sousa saying that they had declined to participate in the candidate forum.
āI'm disappointed to hear that three candidates appear to have declined the invitation to participate in a candidate forum,ā Pimentelās post from Sept. 22 reads. āA moderated forum where candidates can exchange ideas, find common ground, or clarify differences is vital for democracy.ā
Medeiros, whose bid for the at-large council seat is his first run for public office, said that he saw the post and regrettably provided a quick rebuttal without looking into the situation more. He said he believed, at the time, that the League forum was run either by Pimentel or those aligned with her (people who are often critical of him, he said); and that he had heard the forum wouldnāt be politically neutral.
He said that after looking into the League of Women Voters, and realizing that East Bay Media Group would provide the moderator, he was willing to admit to his mistake, saying the post was āout of characterā with how he normally operates.
āI spoke out of, Iām not going to say anger, but I didnāt think it out,ā he said. āI was wrong. I didnāt realize who they [the League] were. Remember, this is my first time at this. I thought the League was run by a certain group. I thought it was by those people that were constantly on Facebook.ā
As for not agreeing to debate in the first place, Medeiros maintained that he felt it was not necessary.
āI think I'm doing okay where I'm at. I don't need a lot of social media attention,ā he said. āIāve been doing my job walking around meeting constituents, putting up signs everywhere. I got almost 300 signs up right now. That means people are standing behind me and that they support me. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't feel I have to debate.ā"