Editorial | On Nov. 4, voters should focus on potholes, not partisanship

Election season is here, but voters won’t find high-profile state and federal races on their ballots. Instead, they will choose local leaders to manage local issues. Those choices matter more than many people realize.

The people who serve on city councils, school boards and special districts affect the everyday quality of life in the Tri-Cities. They make decisions about roads, school safety and emergency services. They are in charge of parks, buses and ports. They must manage growth and make sure that local services have funding without overburdening local taxpayers, providing everything a community needs to function and thrive.

Being a member of a political party is not a qualification for local office. A pothole doesn’t care if the driver of the car that hits it is a Democrat, Republican or independent. Indeed, partisanship can become a detriment if an officeholder’s commitment to advancing an agenda detracts from the real work that needs to be done.

In Washington, local elections are nonpartisan by design. The goal is to allow voters to focus on financial acumen, competence, dedication to the community and a collaborative spirit, not an R or a D.

Voters should insist that candidates are breathing and actively campaigning. Yes, deceased and withdrawn candidates remain on the ballot. Voters also should skip candidates who do not do the bare campaign minimum of submitting a statement for the Voters’ Pamphlet.

Former U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill popularized the phrase, “All politics is local.” These days that adage has flipped. National partisan rancor has insinuated itself into local, nonpartisan offices. Tri-Citians should resist the push to make all politics national.

The local Republican Party, for example, has backed local candidates in recent years, turning nonpartisan races into partisan ones. That practice only serves to inflame increasingly toxic politics.

School board candidates campaign to eliminate “woke indoctrination” and to challenge state policies on student rights. They pledge to secure increased state funding for home school and school choice. They openly cite their status as party precinct committee officers.

National and state issues are important, but they belong in Congress and Olympia. Local offices are primarily fiduciary and administrative in nature. Attempts to turn them into platforms for fighting over immigration policy, LGBTQ rights, books on library shelves detract from their true mandate.

Local elected leaders should work for the good of the whole community, not introduce divisive resolutions that inflame passions but enact no real change.

Nor should incumbency be a free pass to reelection. Incumbents have a record, and they should defend it on the campaign trail. If voters conclude that someone has spent the past four years trying to score political points instead of dealing with issues that matter locally, they should throw them out.

Likewise, not every challenger is ready for office. Look for new candidates who have served the community in other capacities, the ones with a history of civic engagement working with diverse stakeholders. Avoid the ones with a grudge to settle.

Historically, participation in local, off-year elections is dismally low. Four years ago, only 39% of eligible voters cast ballots statewide. Compare that with last year’s presidential election in which turnout was twice as high. When fewer people participate, every vote cast becomes more powerful, more capable of swaying the future of the community.

County elections offices will mail ballots to registered voters starting Oct. 17. Voters then must return them to county election drop boxes or mail them by Tuesday, Nov. 4. That’s plenty of time to look over the Voters’ Pamphlet, read election coverage in the Tri-City Herald and other news sources, and make informed decisions.

This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.