Dear Kristen,

Thank you for reaching out and for the opportunity to participate in the League of Women Voters of Southcoast’s Candidates’ Night. I truly appreciate the effort you and your organization put into facilitating these important discussions.

I would like to clarify the situation regarding the invitation. There seems to have been a mix-up with the email addresses used for communication. While I am sure a letter was sent inviting me to the debate, I never received it. Additionally, the initial invite was not sent to my official campaign email, which is the primary contact I monitor for event requests and communications. By the time I realized the invite had been sent to my school committee email, a couple of days later, a story had already appeared in the local papers, which I perceived as an unfair criticism of my campaign. This misunderstanding has led to frustration, particularly with how my non-response was portrayed publicly.

I kindly request that the letter to the editor in Sippican Week, the Wanderer, and Fairhaven Neighborhood News be retracted, as it does not accurately reflect my willingness to participate. Resolving this matter will help maintain the integrity and transparency that both our campaigns and the League value.

Given the recent developments and circumstances, I must respectfully decline the invitation to attend the event on Oct. 17. I appreciate your understanding and the work that goes into organizing such events.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Warm regards,
Joe Pires
Candidate for Massachusetts State Representative

This letter is a response to the Oct. 7 letter to the editor “Candidates and their civic responsibility” by League of Women Voters of South Coast co-chairs Kris Eastman and Eileen J. Marum.