A political rush is on in Flathead County, and it should deliver one of the liveliest primary elections in recent memory.
A vibrant election season begins
We just can't recall a busier slate of candidates than the one that voters will be perusing on ballots June 6. Elections should be dynamic and unpredictable, and this one will be.
That's all due to the gutsy willingness of regular citizens to step up to the plate, competing for duties that are more likely to reward them with complaints and headaches than riches and prestige.
"It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs." That's what Albert Einstein had to say about political engagement - which shows he wasn't just smart about physics.
Consider the lineup: an even dozen candidates for a single position on the Flathead County Board of Commissioners, a U.S. senate race that offers choices for both Democrats and Republicans, multiple contested legislative races and a contested sheriff's race.
Democrats have mounted an impressive comeback, fielding candidates in every local race except two, the county clerk and recorder and county attorney.
The county commissioner races should be the most interesting. On the Republican ticket is a former auto parts store owner, a legal mediator, a police detective, an Evergreen community advocate, a former postmaster, a county truck driver, a former law enforcement officer, a retired teacher and a former consultant in the aerospace industry.
On the Democratic ballot are a former local government administrator, a construction manager with a planning background, and a local business entrepreneur.
That's an eclectic blend of backgrounds. But how these candidates will be able to effectively campaign and set themselves apart from the rest should be interesting to watch. These contests could easily be decided by margins of a couple hundred or a few dozen votes, so the winners may prevail by virtue of knowing more voters rather than having slightly different campaign positions than their same-party opponents.
The bottom line is that there will be choices for voters, and that should boost turnout and discourage "cross-over" voting that has caused some grumbling in the past. With Democratic voters having meaningful races to chew on in their own primary election this year, we expect that more Democrats will choose not to graze in the Republican pasture.