Inevitably in every primary at least one of the candidates who I most admire or believe has the most to offer is the underdog. Some want to vote for a “winner” so they may abandon their underdog in favor of the “most likely to win” candidate. That’s cool. There is something to be said for avoiding runoffs (they are costly, turnout is usually abysmal, and they prolong the primary pain) and I sometimes go along with this strategy.
But there is another strategy that I sometimes employ (and will be tomorrow). If there is a candidate who is the only one talking about issues that you think are important, it can be effective to support that candidate so that those issues get a some added attention. If enough people are listening before the primary and share your thoughts, you never know – that candidate could end up in a runoff. And if the stars align; the weather cooperates; or the opponent flubs something; that underdog could end up on the ticket!
So, that’s my plan. I will be casting my vote for State School Superintendent for Brian Westlake. He is talking about the issues that I think are most pressing for the future of our schools: Teacher empowerment; increased support for technical & vocational education; more parent and teacher input on budgetary issues; and increased emphasis on early-childhood education.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting Brian Westlake for State School Superintendent. Find out about more about him here.
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