The race to select a Republican candidate to seek the seat held by U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings is coming to Myrtle Beach later this month, and residents have a chance to have their voices heard on such issues as funding for the proposed Interstate 73.

The Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association's 22nd annual candidate forum is set for 5 p.m. April 30, and organizers are soliciting questions from the community to be posed to the five Republican candidates. The forum is co-sponsored by The Sun News and Time Warner Cable.

Residents can attend the forum in person or watch it on Time Warner Cable.

The candidates who plan to participate in the forum at Bay Watch Resort are former Gov. David Beasley; former Attorney General Charlie Condon; U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint; Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride; and Thomas Ravenel.

The winner of the Republican primary June 8 will likely face State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, a Democrat, in the November election.

The candidates are seeking the seat held by the veteran Hollings, a Democrat who decided not to seek re-election to the office he first won in 1966.

The candidate who captures the seat will face issues of local interest including funding for I-73, which has been pushed in recent months by community officials and residents to increase access to the region.

"Having our representation in Washington is critical, especially right now," said Martha Hunn, hospitality association executive director. "All government is truly local, and that's why these campaigns come to local communities."

The forum will include a panel of journalists who will ask submitted questions of each candidate. The panel will include moderator Richard Green, host of Headline News Local Edition; Denney Clements, editorial page editor for The Sun News; Bob Juback, WBTW-TV, Channel 13, anchorman; Allyson Floyd, WPDE-TV, Channel 15, anchorwoman; and Paul Gable, reporter for the Myrtle Beach Herald.

"We're stepping it up to involve journalists in the process. It makes for an exciting event," Hunn said.

Candidates will respond to questions submitted from the community.

The questions will be sorted and narrowed based on the topics, Hunn said. There also will be a rapid-fire session in which candidates will give a quick response to one question.

"It really is the way to guarantee the local community's voice is heard, and we rely on that," Hunn said.