Competitive elections result in more transparency and accountability, so consider running for local office
To the Editor:
Thinking about the November elections? Now is the time to get involved!
As former members of Princeton Council and as past presidents of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, we feel strongly that competitive elections result in more transparency, accountability, and diversity among the elected officials and more engagement on the part of residents. This year could prove to be a critical year for our democracy, so we are reintroducing a time-honored tradition of the local Democratic party in support of those ideals. There will be two council seats and the mayor’s position on the ballot in the June primary and the November general election. We created a webpage, princetondemocrats.com, that outlines the important steps and dates for seeking office. We would be happy to have confidential conversations with anyone who is interested in running for office to provide guidance and support or to answer any questions you may have.
Congressman Andy Kim was in town recently to speak to Princeton Democrats, and he spoke movingly about his realization that if he was upset about the direction of his community, he needed to run for office to be the change he wanted to see. Whether it is for this year or another, it is the right time to get involved.
Whatever your level of interest, we are eager to hear from you. We can be reached by email at jo.butler@verizon.net or jenny@crumiller.com.
Jo Butler
Jenny Crumiller
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Does this include Republicans?
I sincerely hope that Jenny and Jo are welcoming of candidates affiliated to other political parties. A one party town is not the way to go if we actually believe in democracy and let’s not forget Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, that democrats hold dear. I would like Democrats to stop using a political affiliation as an insult. I would love to see Republicans, Independents, and Democrats running civilised campaigns and engaging in healthy debates of ideas to improve this town.
(Speaking for myself only.) I’m guessing many Princeton residents would appreciate a choice in the general election. But Republicans have their own primary and Independents can run without one. If those groups don’t even try to field candidates, they’re never going to get anywhere. That’s not the fault of Democrats.