A candidates' forum for 24th District candidates is being held Tuesday in Ogdensburg
OGDENSBURG -- The N.J. state lawmaker criticized for using a vulgar term to describe his opponent is scheduled to appear with her Tuesday night at a candidates' forum.
Assemblyman Parker Space, R-24th District, and Kate Matteson each will be given six minutes for opening statements, two minutes for rebuttals and time to respond to audience questions.
Space and his running mate, former state Labor Commissioner Hal Wirths, are running for two Assembly seats against Matteson and Gina Trish, the two Democratic candidates, as well as Green Party candidates Aaron Hyndman and Kenneth Collins.
All except Collins are scheduled to appear at a 7 p.m. forum at the Ogdensburg Firehouse, said organizer John Kibildis, a retired teacher and borough resident.
Space was chatting with several people Aug. 31 following a drug overdose awareness event in Newton when he was recorded without his knowledge calling Matteson -- who was not present for the conversation -- a "bitch" three times in 33 seconds.
The conversation occurred five days after Space, while attending a Hank Williams Jr. concert in New York, trigged a controversy upon uploading to Facebook a photo of him and his wife standing in front of a Confederate flag, modified to show Williams' face in the middle.
"Tailgating waiting for Hank! Hope no one is offended! lol," Space wrote in a post accompanying the photo.
Space's remarks about Matteson similarly drew statewide notice, after the recording was obtained by Politico New Jersey and posted online Sept. 19. Some Democrats, including Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-37th District, said Space should resign, while Gov. Chris Christie said Space should apologize.
Space issued a statement stating he would quit only if every other Democratic candidate in the state, including the Democratic nominee for governor Phil Murphy, took a polygraph exam on whether they had ever used the same word.
The Republican-dominated 24th District includes all of Sussex County, Mount Olive in Morris County and 11 municipalities in Warren County.
In addition to the Assembly race, candidates for State Senate in the 24th District, Sussex County freeholder, Ogdensburg council and Ogdensburg school board will appear Tuesday, Kibildis said.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook