Don't Forget the "Unsexy" Races
It gets very easy to focus on what I call the "sexy" races. These are the federal races (Congress, Senate, Prez) and the big statewides (especially Governors). All this attention makes it very easy to forget about our candidates for the state legislature and county and city races.
It gets very easy to focus on what I call the "sexy" races. These are the federal races (Congress, Senate, Prez) and the big statewides (especially Governors). All this attention makes it very easy to forget about our candidates for the state legislature and county and city races.
This is a huge mistake.
For example, if you're an environmentalist, some of the most important races will often be for county government, because your supervisors - or commissioners or whatever they are called in your jurisdiction - probably have a huge amount to do with zoning and that means they are the first and best line of defense against paving over your local wetlands. The nation knows about the tragedy going on in the Gulf of Mexico and many of us understand that the Everglades are in serious danger. But I bet there is some beautiful patch of nature near you that gets no national attention, but that is in no less danger from out of control development.
If your issue is reproductive choice, LGBT issues, income inequality or a whole host of other, critical issues - then I promise you, some under the radar elected official has a huge amount of influence on it.
For my part, I'm from Pinellas County, in the Tampa Bay area. A great candidate, Bob Hackworth - a former mayor of a beautiful town called Dunedin - is running against an incumbent, Susan Latvala (ex-wife of a local powerbroker named Jack Latvala, who has sold my county out to some shady folks.
Bob Hackworth is exactly the kind of local candidate that not only needs help and attention paid to his race - this is exactly the sort of race where a few committed, local activists can make the biggest difference.
I don't want to turn this into nothing but a sales pitch for Hackworth. What I want is for all of us to look at races like county commission, water board, community college board, soil & water conservation district... to take a look at these races and recognize that these are building blocks of real change on your community.
And if you're still focused on the "sexy" races - keep in mind, that this is your bench for state and federal office. Without your mayors, state reps, and school board members as a pool to draw from - you will never have a steady stream of top class candidates for statewide and federal office.