As a candidate running for a spot on the Bangor School Committee, I field a lot of questions about why I am running, what my goals are, and who I see as my biggest competitor. Those are all valid questions, but those aren’t things I want to address today. Instead, I would like to take a moment and reflect on the process of seeking public office.
You see, when I decided to run for school committee, I had the goal of running a bare bones campaign. Ideally, a campaign based in simply talking to people, establishing connections, and looking for common ground. A month in and a few conversations later, it is clear that it is nearly impossible to run for any office without engaging in the requisite marketing schemes that we have all become accustomed to. Mailers, yard signs, and other disposable collateral that is destined, win or lose, for the trash. This has me, to be quite frank, frustrated. Not because I cannot engage in these activities, but because I know that so many qualified individuals are shut out of the game from the get-go and that just isn’t right. Your level of income should not be a barrier to seeking public office – particularly the school committee.
Similarly, I have tried to keep my personal politics out of the conversation. In my mind, it doesn’t matter what a school committee candidate’s political affiliation is, because this job shouldn’t be bogged down in all that. The role of a school committee member is to identify opportunities to enrich the school experience for all involved and work collaboratively to those ends. Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we should all agree that students should be our primary focus and learn to set aside our political infighting for the sake of improving our already amazing school system. If we can’t lead by example, how can we expect future generations to learn the merits of balance and compromise?
So what does this mean for my campaign? Well, I am setting limits for myself. You won’t see 200 yard signs strewn about town trying to out-sign other candidates. I just cannot bring myself to fully embrace a practice that I see as financially and environmentally wasteful. There will be signs, but I plan to be more strategic with their placement. Similarly, you may see a mailer or hang-tag appear at your house. That’s right, one or the other, but not both. I want people to reach out and talk to me. Send an email or message me through social media. Stop me if you see me out walking and let me know your thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
At the heart of each of these campaigns is a person and I think we owe to each other to look beyond the flashy collateral and get to know who it is we are voting for.