Running On Their Records
As the 2026 campaign slogs along, we hear promise upon promise of what this or that candidate will do in office as a justification for casting your vote for that person.
That’s fine. But an even better predictor of what that person will do in office is to look at what the person has done so far.
Let’s say someone is a current office holder, and either wants to be re-elected or elected to another post. What has the person done to warrant continued public employment?
And not talking points or platitudes; specifics, please.
Success as a lawmaker is not solely marked by number of bills passed into law…but it’s something to consider. If someone has been a lawmaker, their job is to show up…that includes casting votes, which establishes a record we can review. If someone does not hold public office, what sort of business deals did they do…that helps us figure out their priorities and how they work as part of a team. And I do want at least some information on their personal finances…if they can’t handle their own money or business, why should I trust them to decide how to spend my tax dollars?
I am fortunate in that I get to ask these folks questions, and to ask follow up questions. When they spout about broad goals, I’m starting to ask about what the person would specifically do to get to that goal; so far, I’ve been disappointed in the shallow responses. It’s like they know the buzz words, but not the plan; they know the destination, but have no road map for getting there.
I hope you get the chance to meet and talk with candidates. And I hope you’ll press for specifics. Maybe you’ll get better answers than I do.
