Election musings

Every election brings new lessons and re-enforces old lessons.

One lesson, learned every election, is you can’t speak for the voters.  They speak for themselves.

It looks like incumbent county auditor Republican Gary Alexander will keep his lead over his Democratic challenger Mary Hall.   Republicans have held the top election’s job in the county for more than 30 years.  It’s the only county seat still in Republican hands.

Alexander is following in the traditions of his Republican predecessors by being moderate on social issues and non-partisan when it comes to election issues.    His opponent is probably the most-qualified person to challenge for the seat, but Alexander matches her qualification for qualification.   The General Election race, between the two,  is going to get dirty and Democrats have nothing else to spend their union dues on this November.

In the Lacey City Council race, it was no surprise that incumbent Lacey councilmember Ron Lawson was running in second place.   Ron has been “erratic” as a member of the city council and has not received a single endorsement from any of his seat mates.

Michael Steadman is leading that contest and seems to have found the secret to election success.  You have to have the right qualifications.   Steadman is on the Lacey Planning Commission, which is the training ground for many Lacey councilmembers.  He’s also active in the Lacey Chamber of Commerce and in local service clubs – particularly Rotary.  It helped that he received support and money from the Thurston County Democrats.

The third person in that race Jacob Vaughan ran an extensive doorbelling campaign but just couldn’t match Steadman or Lawson in qualifications.

I’ve always said that doorbelling in this day and age is over-rated.