CANTON — Political forums and candidate debates are drawing large crowds and interest in what is turning out to be a heated political season, with races for sheriff, state legislative seats and school board positions.

The Cherokee County Farm Bureau and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a political forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The forum will be at Cagle’s Family Farm, at 362 Stringer Road in the Hickory Flat community and organizers say they are expecting about 250 people.

All local, state and national candidates running for office in 2012 are invited to attend, said event coordinator Shirley Pahl of the Farm Bureau.

Candidates with opposition will have an opportunity to speak. Candidates with no opposition will be introduced.

Several changes have been made in the schedule of debates sponsored by the Cherokee Republican Party.

All debates conducted by the GOP are on Monday evenings at 7 at the Republican Headquarters at 1428 Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock.

For June 25, district attorney candidate Shannon Wallace, who is unopposed, will have 15 minutes to speak, and then Board of Education District 1 candidates Kyla Cromer and Kelly Marlow will square off.

The final debate of the evening will be between Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and challenger Brandon Beach for the District 21 race.

July 9 debates by the GOP will feature unopposed Probate Judge Keith Wood and unopposed Clerk of Superior Court Patty Baker. The big debate of the night will be for new state representative for District 23. Mandi Ballinger, Dean Sheridan, Alan Shinall and Harold Welchel are running.

On July 16, state Senate District 14 incumbent Sen. Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville), Cherokee Chief Magistrate Judge James Drane, County Surveyor Ron Wikle and state Sen. John Albers, who are all unopposed for their respective seats, will get a chance to introduce themselves.

Judges in nonpartisan races for Superior Court Judge David Cannon and Mark Shriver, who are facing off against each other, and Judge Ellen McElyea, who is unopposed, will each get 15 minutes to speak.

In the nonpartisan State Court judges races, Michelle Homier and Jeff Rusbridge, along with Dee Morris, who is unopposed in his re-election bid, will also each speak for up to 15 minutes.

The final debate of the season is set for July 23 with state House District 46 incumbent Rep. John Carson and Martin Hawley and U.S. House District 11 Congressman Phil Gingrey, William Llop and Michael Opitz on the agenda for the evening.

Board of Education chair candidates Danny Dukes and Janet Read will also meet on July 23.