The election to fill Rep. Rodney Alexander’s 5th District Congressional seat is quickly approaching.

On Tuesday, students gathered at the Meet the Candidates forum sponsored by the College Democrats and the College Republicans to get informed about the candidates and their platforms.

Of the 14 candidates running for the position, Mayor Jamie Mayo and Attorney Marcus Hunter attended for the Democrats, and engineer Philip Blake Weatherly represented the Republicans.

Each candidate had different ideas and approaches about issues the country is currently facing, but there was one common goal: bring the 5th Congressional District to a new level.

Candidate Weatherly believes one of the keys to the growth of the district is to boost the economy.

“District five is large agriculturally. We do have to invest in that industry. We have to invest in research and technology,” Weatherly said.

When it comes to being heard in the chaos ensuing in Washington, Hunter plans to take a people-oriented approach if elected.

“My voice will be loud because I’m listening… When we sit back and play with asses and elephants, we put people’s lives at stake,” Hunter said.

Mayo hopes to be the “in-between” voice that has disappeared from politics in the last generation.

“Now you’re either right or you’re left, and that is what is hurting our country,” said Mayo. “That is why we are very divided and that is what is making it very difficult to get anything done… I would be a lightning rod to help try to change that.”

Shereka Hatfield, a junior accounting major and president of the College Democrats, stresses the importance of not only attending forums such as these, but using the information to take action and have a voice.

Hatfield believes that purpose of attending college is to invest in the future.

“And if we don’t take the time to get involved in the politics and policies that we have to live by, then what we are doing is in vain,” said Hatfield. “If we don’t let candidates know that we have a voice, they will ignore us.”

Justin Bell, a sophomore computer information systems and accounting major, attended the forum and agrees students should be more politically active.

“It was good to hear what each candidate planned to do in office and have the opportunity to ask questions that were important to us as the up and coming generation,” Bell said.

Students are encouraged to vote in the election for 5th Congressional District on Oct. 19.