I think I may need to write a book on this one day, but with election season upon us, I think now is as good a time as any to put this out there.
After being on both sides of elections and serving in elected office, here are 15 principles I try to keep in mind during election season.
REMEMBER THAT EVERY CANDIDATE IS A HUMAN BEING.
Every candidate has a family, children, friends, and people who love and support them. Those people have social media too. For those of us with young children, our kids don’t always understand why someone may dislike or say something hateful about their mom, dad, or another family member, especially when the disagreement is simply political or a difference of opinion.
You can disagree with someone without trying to destroy them personally.
ELECTIONS WILL SURPRISE YOU.
One of the hardest pills to swallow is discovering that someone you were certain would support you doesn’t. At the same time, someone you never thought would support you in a million years may step forward and do exactly that.
You’re human. Sometimes it hurts your feelings. You acknowledge it, put it aside, and keep moving forward.
NO ELECTION IS WORTH LOSING FRIENDS OR FAMILY OVER.
We need to normalize differences of opinion. We need to normalize the fact that good people will not always agree with us.
When the election is over, we’re still neighbors. We’re still going to see each other at the grocery store, church, ballgames, festivals, restaurants, and around town.
ONCE YOU’RE ELECTED, YOU REPRESENT EVERYONE.
Republican, Democrat, Independent, or anything else, once you take that oath, you are an elected official for everybody you serve.
Whether someone voted for you, voted against you, supported your opponent, or didn’t vote at all, they deserve the same treatment and the best service you can provide.
IF YOU’RE RUNNING FOR THE TITLE, MONEY, POWER, OR POLITICAL GAIN, RECONSIDER WHY YOU’RE RUNNING.
Public office should be about public service.
FOR ME PERSONALLY, MY DECISIONS HAVE TO BE GROUNDED IN BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES BEFORE POLITICAL PRINCIPLES.
My faith has to come before politics. I may not always get everything right, but that is the standard I try to hold myself to.
RESPECT GOES A LONG WAY.
Someone disagreeing with you does not automatically make them your enemy.
We live in a free country. People have the right to choose whom they vote for, whom they support, and what they believe. Respect that freedom even when their choice is different from yours.
PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUBLICLY SUPPORT CANDIDATES.
If someone chooses to endorse or support a candidate, that is their decision. Political support is often taken personally when it shouldn’t be.
There can ultimately only be one winner in a race, but supporting one person doesn’t have to mean hating another.
BE CAREFUL WITH STATISTICS.
Numbers can be presented in very different ways depending on what is included, excluded, compared, or emphasized.
I could take numbers from my own budget and present different figures depending on the time period, calculation, or category being discussed. Context matters. Don’t just throw out a number. Explain what it represents and how you arrived at it.
REMEMBER VOTER FATIGUE.
People get bombarded with signs, mailers, advertisements, social media posts, phone calls, and political arguments.
Tell people what you want to accomplish. Tell them what you believe needs fixing. Explain your ideas.
There is nothing wrong with pointing out legitimate differences between candidates or records, but there is a difference between discussing differences and making everything personal.
PEOPLE HAVE LONG MEMORIES.
How you treat people matters long before you decide to run for office.
You can’t spend years treating people poorly and expect an election announcement to magically erase those memories.
Character isn’t something you turn on when you file your paperwork.
WE LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY. PEOPLE TALK.
If you say something about somebody, there’s a pretty good chance it will eventually make its way back to them.
A good rule for public life is simple: Speak as though you’re being recorded, and be willing to stand behind what you say.
WE’RE ALL HUMAN, AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
When the votes are counted, win or lose, find a way to contribute positively to your community. Don’t spend the next four years stirring the pot simply because an election didn’t go your way.
NEVER FORGET WHO YOU WORK FOR.
For elected officials, the citizens are the people we serve.
Answer your phone. Return messages. Talk to people, including the ones who disagree with you. Explain your decisions. Be willing to answer questions and be accountable.
Titles and egos can get big if you let them. Never forget why the position exists in the first place: to serve the public.
FINALLY, IF YOU AREN’T PREPARED FOR THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME WITH PUBLIC OFFICE, THINK SERIOUSLY BEFORE RUNNING.
Many elected positions involve decisions that directly affect people’s lives, families, safety, businesses, and finances.
Public service requires showing up, doing the work, accepting criticism, being accountable, and remembering that the position is bigger than the person occupying it.
Election seasons come and go. Signs eventually come down. Votes get counted. Somebody wins and somebody loses.
But we’re still Nelson Countians afterward.
We will still be neighbors. We will still work together. Our kids will still go to school together. We’ll still see each other around town.
Campaign hard. Stand for what you believe. Support who you choose. Debate the issues. Ask tough questions. Hold elected officials accountable.
But remember that we’re all human beings, and when election season ends, the community is still here.
Maybe if we all remembered that a little more often, election season wouldn’t have to be nearly as ugly as it sometimes becomes.
Justin Hall
Nelson County Jailer