Diane Harkey was supposed to be my state senator but some 200 voters who voted for Tom Harman ended that dream.  However, we are all lucky that Diane is a strong woman and a committed conservative Republican and local elected official.  Diane is one of the smartest local electeds we have in Orange County and she commands respect from all who know her.  

So when I saw her email newsletter had a logical approach to choosing who should be you your next councilmember or school board trustee, I knew right away I needed to pass it on

Diane’s thoughts are as good a criteria as any I have seen:

Local Elections Matter—or don’t just vote for the nice guy or drink the Party cool-aide… If you’re a political junkie like me, you frequently discuss politics with friends, so you usually get the scoop on candidates. But, if you are “normal,” politics and religion are topics best left off the table.  This November there will be many good people running for Councils and Boards. How to choose could be a problem.  Since local elections (often more than state or national) can affect your quality of life, tax base, schools and future property values, as well as provide the pool of candidates for higher office—they really matter!  

All candidates have glowing ballot statements, but unfortunately similar to a marriage, we can never truly know what we will get until the honeymoon is over.  However,  I do try to use 3 objective criteria to help me decide:

 1.       Have they lived and been involved in the city/district long enough to know the people they will serve?

• Have they volunteered on other campaigns, or is it all about them?
• Have they served successfully in an elected office? Are they liked?
• Have they volunteered in the community, served on charitable boards?
• Do they have a strong base of support—volunteer and/or financial?

2.       Can they claim success in their personal and/or business life?

• Are they bored or just need a job or do they really have something to offer? (career experience, time and energy, proven commitment)
• Are they mature and comfortable in their skin or might they be overly impressed with some of the titles and/or privileges that come with public office?
• Are they street-smart enough to refuse “legal” favors that could compromise their decisions or might they be tempted to accept?

3.       When faced with tough decisions, do they have an ideology to help guide them, and do you know what it is?  This may require a bit more digging than knowing the political party candidates purport to represent. (All R’s are not equal!) Ask specific questions, or do some research to help you answer the questions below:  

• Will they be consistent?  (Important so voters and electeds know what to expect.) 
• Will they defend a difficult decision, which may be unpopular with a vocal few, but benefit the community as a whole, or will they cast ideology aside to be liked?
• Will they work continually in the community to try build relationships with those who might be disgruntled, or will they hold a grudge and try to get even?
• Will they be able to admit if they make a mistake, try to correct it, and move on?
• Will they have the strength of character and conviction to stand alone if necessary?

In short, will they lead or will they be led? Are they experienced enough to run a multi-million dollar organization? Will they struggle to earn and retain your trust?

This entry was posted on Friday, September 1st, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.