NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL to Host ‘Future of Carencro’ Forum for Mayoral Candidates on Thursday, November 19

CARENCRO, La. — With a run-off less than a month away and early voting starting in just two weeks, voters in Carencro will get an opportunity to hear from their candidates for mayor about the future of their city.

NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL will host the Future of Carencro Mayoral Forum on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Carencro Community Center and broadcast over 96.5 FM and the KPEL 96.5 app.

Joe Cunningham, host of Acadiana's Morning News (6-9 a.m.) and The Joe Cunningham Show (5-6 p.m.) every weekday, will moderate the event. The theme of the night will focus on the future, with questions for each candidate centered on their plans for Carencro if they win, the issues they see as the most important issues ahead, and how they want to tackle the growth expected in the region.

"As someone who has lived in Carencro for a decade now, this city means a lot to me and I am glad we could get both of our candidates for mayor to come together for an evening before early voting," Cunningham said. "Our goal is to focus on the future and what Carencro needs. And KPEL's goal is to make sure voters are informed before they get to the ballot box."

Carencro's mayor, Charlotte Clavier, will face challenger Eric Knight in the run-off scheduled for Saturday, December 12. In the general election, Clavier picked up 39 percent while Knight picked up 35 percent. Don Chauvin, who had previously run against Clavier, came in third with 26 percent.

"I’m excited to participate in the Mayoral Forum for the City of Carencro," Clavier said. "Getting more feedback from the public is always a priority for me."

"This isn't about political wins or personal agendas," Knight said in a statement included in full below. "It's about the families, neighborhoods, taxpayers, and future of Carencro."

The program will be divided into six segments, with on-air commercial breaks allowing candidates to take a breather. During the third and sixth segments, if any citizens wish to ask a question of the candidates, they will have an opportunity. Like the moderator's questions, citizens are asked to keep their questions focused on the future of the city and the community's needs.

The Future of Carencro Mayoral Forum will be held at the Carencro Community Center from 5-6:30 p.m. and broadcast live on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL.

Full Statement from the Eric Knight Campaign

Transparency and accountability dont happen simply because someone promises them. They happen when leaders are willing to show up, answer questions, have difficult conversations, and be accountable to the people they serve.

For months, Eric Knight has consistently called for an open public forum, extending invitations and making countless request for the other candidates to come together and give the people of Carencro and opportunity to hear directly from those seeking to lead their city. After numerous request and continued efforts, we are finally seeing a committment to making that happen.

We believe the people of Carencro deserve nothing less. They deserve the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, hear real answers, and understand where each candidate stands on the issues that will shape the future of their community.

Eric Knight has made transparency, accountability, and putting residents first central to his campaign from the beginning. This forum is another opportunity to demonstrate what leadership should look like: open communication, honest conversations, and a willingness to answer to the people.

This isn't about political wins or personal agendas. It's about the families, neighborhoods, taxpayers, and future of Carencro.

The people deserve a voice. The people deserve answers. And the people deserve a government that answers to them.

One Carencro. One People. One Future.