Officials with Columbia County's Democratic and Republican parties recently clashed over an unlikely topic: Both wanted to offer a forum for this year's local Republican candidates.

The problem was both parties booked the same location and date: Monday in the Evans Government Center Complex auditorium.

Ultimately, a decision was made to allow the Republicans to push their own candidates.

County GOP Chairwoman Debbie McCord "was just very vehement about not having this and not having any Republicans attend," said Rosemary Fitzpatrick, the county's Democratic chairwoman, referring to her group's forum. "Rather than have a no-show and everybody back out, I felt like it would be better to cancel. I didn't want the party embarrassed."

Ms. Fitzpatrick said she initiated the forum at the request of Republicans wishing to court Democratic voters.

Ms. McCord admits she doesn't like party crossover events, but she said she intended to accommodate the Democrats had they decided to hold their forum elsewhere. She said the situation was a result of miscommunication.

"I did not tell my candidates not to attend," Ms. McCord said. "In fact, I told them, because we had an event scheduled the same night, that we would work out the rotation so that they could attend both events if they chose to."

When Ms. Fitzpatrick booked the auditorium, she said, she wasn't told the county GOP already had booked the site for a similar forum. Ms. McCord said she booked the auditorium in January.

Though she doesn't believe enough Democrats live in Columbia County to sway an election, Ms. McCord said crossover events can lead to one party trying to vote in a weaker candidate from an opposing party in a primary.

Ms. Fitzpatrick said her party will still hear from some Republican candidates at a quarterly meeting July 7 at the auditorium.

Republican candidates so far scheduled to speak at that meeting include state House candidates Lee Benedict and Brett McGuire and county commission candidate David Payne, Ms. Fitzpatrick said. No county Democrats are contending for any races in the July 15 primary.

The GOP forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday in the auditorium at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive in Evans. Most Republican candidates will attend, Ms. McCord said.

Another "stump" meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Liberty Park Community Center on Newmantown Road in Grovetown.