To future progressive candidates in Washington County,
Right now, people in Washington County are gathering – physically and digitally. Conversations are happening in coffee shops and dining rooms, playgrounds and libraries, at work and the grocery store.
In a community that has seen no serious challenge to its entitled conservative political regime for years, it’s easy to believe nothing will ever really change here. Throw in the torrent of backward-thinking, chaotic policies coming down from the state and federal level, it’s easy to feel hopeless.
As far as politics goes, I’m often frustrated by a sense of insignificance. I know that nothing I do on my own will ever match the scale of the problems we are facing. My anger grows, but it goes nowhere (except the occasional comment section online).
My kids are old enough now that they are asking questions about the world around them. For their sake – and for mine – I’ve realized that doomscrolling and voting every couple years is no longer acceptable.
So, I put the phone down and started showing up. I didn’t know where I was going, I just started.
Shortly after Inauguration Day, I attended a Kalona City Council meeting and a Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting. I went to a town hall. I reached out to some like-minded people at work and we grabbed coffee to talk about what’s going on.
Within the span of a few short weeks, I no longer felt so insignificant. I realized just how many people were thinking what I was thinking. I attended my first protest. When I showed up, I actually knew some of the people standing around with signs!
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Republican dominance of Washington County is not something we have to roll over and accept. We get to choose if the callous, bigoted, “smash first, think later” brand of politics has a place in our community.
Think about this:
All 6 County-level seats up for re-election went to Republicans in 2024 election. All 6 went unchallenged by Democrats in the general. The same is true for 2022.
The only people challenging Republicans in our county are Republicans themselves and the differences there are so insignificant as to be meaningless.
Lesson: You literally can’t win if you don’t run.
2. Having good ideas is easy. Finding good candidates is hard. But I’ve found the secret to discovering good candidates:
It’s you.
Maybe you’ve thought about a run. Maybe it’s never crossed your mind.
But I’m guessing if you are reading this you probably believe at least a few of these things:
1. You believe the government should work for everyone – regardless of their identity, the amount of money in their checking account, or the number of government contracts they receive.
2. You believe in public schools, libraries and public health - and that your elected leaders should support them without stopping to consider the ramblings of some crank conspiracy theorist on the internet.
3. You believe in a just and restorative justice system that doesn’t see people as problems to manage, but lives to help flourish.
4. Now, add your ideas. Our community needs new ways of thinking as we grow and change.
Our County government is designed to keep most people from participating. When the salary is $50k and all business is done in the middle of the workday, very few people can justify running.
But there is always a reason not to run.
“When my kids are grown” or “when my life slows down” or “if I didn’t need the money” are things I hear people say. And I get it! It’s the reality of life for most people.
But then, year after year, we are governed by a very narrow category of people - those who are old enough or rich enough to run. Attend a County Supervisor meeting sometime and you’ll see firsthand what I mean.
After winnowing out all the others, the people who are able to run don’t often face much resistance.
Take Marcus Fedler for example – County Supervisor from District 3.
Self-employed with grown kids, he had the flexibility and time to make a run for the seat. In January 2021, he secured the Republican nomination with a total of 6 votes. He went on to win a March 2021 special election with a total of 98 votes. He won the June 2022 Republican Primary with 195 votes. Now, simply for being the only candidate listed on the ballot, he won the June 2022 general election with a total of 1,453 votes.
And that’s democracy! Kudos to him. Candidates are elected by those who vote and Fedler is who they chose.
But, for a moment, look at those numbers again.
And now again.
You can do that.
You can do even better.
And you wouldn’t be on your own. There are so many people (more than you think!) who would leap at an opportunity to support your candidacy and eventual role as an elected official in Washington County. Washington County is filled with determined, brilliant progressive voters who are just as tired of the status quo as you.
So, you in?
Fill out this form and we can get you connected to an amazing group of people to encourage and support you, in the practical details and more.