David Borden and Otto Grote, Democratic candidates for state representative in District 18, plan to hold two forums to hear from residents in Rye and New Castle before the election, and, if elected, to follow up with ongoing discussions to keep voters informed about what’s happening in Concord.

“There are a lot of lobbyists in Concord, I think more lobbyists than legislators up there. We want the public to be directly involved instead of the lobbyists,” Borden says.

Both forums will begin at 7 p.m. at the Rye Public Library. The first, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, will focus on family matters including health care, services for the elderly and education. The second, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, will focus on the environment, energy independence and land use.

“Those are big issues for Rye and New Castle. People are quite concerned about sprawl and global warming, air quality, protecting land and water. We’ve been going to nearly every door in both towns and it comes up a lot,” Borden says. Also on the agenda for the meeting on Oct. 31 is the University of New Hampshire research facility that has been suggested for Odiorne Point.

Borden said they will invite some experts to join the discussion, but that the primary goal is to create a forum to exchange ideas with the residents of Rye and New Castle.