Do Local Political Candidates Need to Engage Better?

It's easy to see around Central Minnesota that this is an election year. And I’m not even talking about the race for the White House. I’m specifically talking about the races for the local offices.  

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For those that are seeking office on the local level, first let me say congratulations for being willing to step forward and put yourself out there for critique and criticism. That said, there’s something I feel some candidates miss or take for granted.  

I think voting is one of the highest freedoms we have, and we should treat it as such. But I often feel like candidates, especially on the local level, put the responsibility completely on voters to learn who they are and what they stand for. 

I understand that it’s easy to go to a website or Facebook page and read about a candidate, and we as voters should do that. But I also feel there’s a responsibility of the candidate to do more as well. 

Yard signs, radio commercials, billboards and digital ads can all be very effective- and should be utilized in a campaign. But in using these mediums, candidates make sure you are giving the voter something other than your name and the office you are running for. 

I’m new to Minnesota, so every candidate is new to me, and I think sometimes political candidates don’t think about folks like me that are not from here, and don’t know who they are.  

And for those candidates who have lived here your whole life, that doesn’t mean everyone knows who you are. Don’t assume that we as voters know your platform and the things that are important to you or your background.  

Just seeing your name on a yard sign or billboard doesn’t tell me much. Especially on billboards. There’s space there to give the voter some idea of what you stand for.  

To earn votes, people need to know more than just your name, but what do you believe in.  If I’ve got to do all the work in getting to know you, how can I trust that you are going to work hard on the issues at hand when you didn’t work very hard to help me get to know you during the campaign.  

Understanding that the people you are asking to vote for you are busy is key, and for them finding time to research candidates is likely to be squeezed in over lunch or when a spare few minutes' present themselves.  Help us help you.  

This isn’t aimed at anyone one candidate. This is the same messaging I’ve used the last 25 years on the radio. In several towns around the area, I’ve seen signs, ads etc. that just give a name and the office they seek.  

Voting is a huge responsibility, but so is running for office. Don’t be one of the candidates who had the chance to get elected and did not fully capitalize on the opportunity.