Calling all local candidates
Published 4:28 pm Friday, May 22, 2009
Last call is approaching for those considering whether to run for a local elected office this year. The five-day filing period opens Monday, and closes at 5 p.m. June 5.
We’re optimistic that voters will have more choices this year than in the recent past. Turnout at the county auditor’s candidate workshop last month was up compared with recent years. The large room was nearly full, and included folks who already had decided to run and many who were thinking about it and wanted to learn more about what it entails. We encourage the latter group, if they’re still on the fence, to jump into a race.
There’s been a shortage of top-notch candidates in recent years for city councils and school boards, as well as positions on boards of sewer, water and fire districts. That doesn’t mean most folks who are serving aren’t well-qualified or aren’t representing citizens well, but it does mean many of them were elected without an opponent to debate them on important issues.
The value of a competitive race is hard to overstate. When a race includes two or more strong candidates, each is pushed to think more deeply, and about a wider range of issues. They’re forced to listen more closely to voters, and to articulate their own vision for our communities more clearly.
Yet often, talented and committed citizens are turned off by the prospect of running an uphill race against an incumbent, or by the grueling prospect of going door-to-door to meet hundreds or even thousands of voters, or the possibility of opening themselves to personal attacks.
None of those prospects should be taken lightly. Indeed, running for public office requires a certain degree of self-confidence and a thick skin. An outgoing nature sure helps. But for most who run, whether they win or lose, the experience is exhilarating. The public service they perform — again, win or lose — is significant. After all, they’re providing the fuel on which democracy runs.
Next week’s filing period is also a chance for political junkies to get warmed up for the campaigns to come. Keep an eye on the newspaper or the auditor’s Web site (www.snoco.org/departments/auditor) to see who files each day, especially the final day, which sometimes sees a flurry of activity as the clock approaches 5 p.m.
Oh, and if you haven’t registered to vote, why not beat the rush and do it now? For instructions, check the auditor’s Web site (above), or call 425-388-3444.
