Elections: Not About “Winning” and “Losing”

Elected by a majority to represent ALL

Many people have congratulated me on “winning” the election. Others who don’t follow local politics have asked, “Did you win your race?” (I argue Why Local Politics Matter More here.) And while I completely understand their question, I usually reply, “Yes, the people of District 1 have elected me to represent them another four years.” Maybe it is just semantics, but words are important to me. So, I wanted to share my opinion here.

In a representative democracy, the people vote to elect someone who will represent their views and govern on their behalf. There are many pros and cons to this style of governing by the people, but one in which I believe still works best in the 21st century.

Obviously, elections must be fair and executed properly. As many people as possible should be afforded the opportunity to vote. Greater participation by citizens should produce a better result of accurate representation. Now, I realize I have over-simplified an extremely contentious debate about what is “fair” in an election, but diving into all of those arguments is not the purpose of this post.

So, why do I oppose the language of “winning” and “losing” in an election?

It is my belief, based on the explanation above, that the people choose their representative. I was not in a “competition” against someone. I wasn’t looking to win or lose. I was asking to be the representative for a group of people designated as District 1 in Newton County. Therefore, my campaign was an effort to let the people of District 1 know that I was interested in representing them again. This website was created to give people a place to hear my thoughts and views on public education, life, and the direction of Newton County Schools.

At the end of the day, I received a majority of votes in District 1. That does not mean the other candidate “lost” anything. And that doesn’t mean I “won” anything. It means I was chosen by a majority of the people to represent all of the people.

Now comes the difficult part. Over three thousand citizens voted for someone else to represent them. Their voices must not be silenced. I’m working on a plan to reach out and hear those voices so I can best represent ALL the people of District 1, not “just” those that elected me. Sure, I will be true to the platform and positions that I have presented all along, but everyone needs to be heard.

This world has become too divided. This county has even fallen prey to big media’s rhetoric and political polarity. But THAT is NOT a representative democracy. Let’s get back to real conversations and making decisions in the messy middle, rather than retreating to the poles. We can do this, together!

I was chosen by a majority of the people to represent all of the people.

Thank you again, I am overwhelmed by your support and trust. I will do my best to represent ALL the good people of Newton County for the next four years.

If you have any questions, concerns, or great ideas let me know. Hit the envelope icon at the top of this post and send me an email.