Warren meeting with Springfield African American clergy

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Candidate for U.S. Senate, Elizabeth Warren , has been campaigning in Western Massachusetts this week.

On Monday, she made a stop to meet with members of a clergy, at Spring of Hope Church in Springfield.

"We wanted to get to know the candidate, get to know where she stood, actually be able to ask her something we wouldn't be able to ask when we read about something in the newspaper or see it on television," said Rev. Talbert Swan.

Rev. Swan invited both Warren and Senator Scott Brown to a Town Hall style discussion.

Swan told 22News, when Brown declined the invite, both candidates agreed to meet with the African American Clergy, separately and in private.

Meetings like this are really for members of the community, helping them make a more informed decision about their candidates.

Swan says the community is relying on him to learn where the candidates stand on issues important to them.

“Gun control, the economy, the incarceration rates are some of the issues that are vitally important to the African American community,” Swan said.

It's a two-way street.

Warren says as the community learns more about her and her opponent, she's learning a lot about what’s important to residents in Western Massachusetts.

“It truly is about our moral responsibilities, who we are as a people, and the kind of world we're trying to build,” Warren said.

To see where Brown  stands on the issues, click here .

To see where Warren stands on the issues, click here .