There is no presidential election on the horizon to create excitement about the upcoming primary in June, but if the adage ‘All politics are local’ is actually true, then this upcoming election is a watershed event in Howard County.
Term limits are booting long-serving council members out of office and most school board incumbents have decided not to run for office again.
So we have two major legislative bodies in the County that are set for major makeovers. Voting alphabetically or making decisions by party alone simply will not cut it this time around. More than ever, an informed electorate is the county’s best chance for success moving forward with a myriad of important issues from new school construction to how land use is managed.
It’s not comfortable being put in a position where you must take time from your busy schedule to study issues and candidates, but really how else can we maintain the Howard County prestige — if such a thing truly exists?
Using the candidates’ websites and following them on social media are good first steps to knowing these people, where they stand, and of course their abilities to govern. Several organizations have and are continuing to host forums. Connecting with candidates personally can really give you a sense of who these would-be officers holders are and whether they would represent your views.
Following their campaigns in the news, when you cannot be present at the candidate events, is also helpful. At the Guilford Gazette, we are covering as many events as we possibly can and working on some features to help you learn more about who’s running for what and why.
We will attempt to lay out some of the critical issues facing us today and run opinion pieces from candidates and other concerned citizens to give you more options to consider as we get nearer to primary day.
But after the primary, the work is not over. In District 3, while there are no Republicans running, there is an Unaffiliated candidate, Gene Ryan, running for County Council. In the general election there will still be a choice.
After the general election, there is still work to do. Too often, voters fall asleep after the election, not fully holding elected officials accountable; and generally news outlets focus on the juiciest news — not necessarily what is important.
Let’s see if we can work together during and after this election cycle to keep abreast of what truly matters to all of us as residents of Howard County. With the news, the Guilford Gazette will work diligently to keep you up-to-date so that you can be informed enough to hold your representative accountable on an on-going basis and not just when the top is about to blow on the boiling kettle.
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