Winning at the local level is a precursor to winning nationally, but prosaic as it may be, the most important thing is to have good people in public offices--honest, hardworking, intelligent, and pragmatic people, men and women who can get things done for the common good. Of course, honesty and fairness are paramount qualifications for local positions. We must assure that we have clean elections because , if the offices fall into the wrong hands, they can corrupt the very foundations of democracy.
At this point, the most worrisome scenario for Republicans has large portions of the GOP base staying home on Election Day. If that happens, collateral damage could follow.
Already, five or six GOP-held governorships are leaning toward the Democrats. But the next tier of gubernatorial races — tossups in states such as Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon and Wisconsin — could tilt Democratic on election night if GOP voters show up in lower-than-usual numbers. Winning most of these races could hand the Democrats a solid majority of governorships.
As for legislatures, almost two-dozen chambers are within a couple of seats of changing party control this year, including both chambers in Colorado, Maine, Iowa and Washington and one chamber each in Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
There’s a lot at stake this year in downballot races, beyond the ability to shape state policymaking. Winning legislative and gubernatorial seats builds farm teams that help a party win higher office. Moreover, with the decade starting to wind down, Congressional redistricting — which in a majority of states is handled by legislators and governors — is fast approaching. And with a pivotal presidential election coming up in two years, state-level strength could become a significant building block in the quest to put together an Electoral College victory.
I hope registered voters on all sides of the political spectrum look even deeper in the ballot , and remain aware of the importance of local city , precinct , and county elections . These elected officials are the base for the up ballot elections in the future . They run our local govrernments and are the ones who can effect change in government from the ground level . They will be members of the caucuses that elect people to the Electoral College . If we neglect to pay attention to who is elected down ballot , we will effectively lose our say-so in higher political races .
“A couple thousand votes can make a difference,” said Tim Storey, a political analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. “If one party is less enthusiastic, it could really hurt.”
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