Make a difference, run for office

These days it may seem as if election cycles never end, but only bleed into one another.

While it can be easy to get fatigued by the constant election rhetoric, the civic importance of elections shouldn’t be lost. This year is a presidential election and, in Wyoming, one senate seat and the lone congress seat are also on the ballot. Also on the ballot are a number of county and municipal offices.

Three of the five seats on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners will be on the ballot this election. There will also be three seats on the Saratoga Town Council with two four-year terms and one two-year unexpired term appearing on the ballot. Similarly, in Riverside, there will also be three seats on the ballot with two four-year terms and one two-year unexpired term. Meanwhile, in Encampment, two four-year terms will appear on the ballot. In Medicine Bow, the entire council and the mayor’s seat will appear on the ballot.

Though voting is considered to be one of the most important acts a citizen can do, what’s just as important is running for office. After all, if nobody runs for an office then there’s nobody to vote for. For some reason, I continue to be an eternal optimist and I like to think that those who run for office do so because they want to do what’s best for their community and believe in contributing to something larger than themselves.

Over the past few years, it seems as if the number of people running for local office has continued to decline. Just two years ago, for example, the only contested race for Saratoga Town Council was that of mayor. At times like that, when there are a number of uncontested races down the ballot, I think about something Sue Jones says during elections.

Jones has served on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners since 2012. Before that, she served on the Saratoga Town Council. Each election cycle, she is fond of saying that there shouldn’t be a single uncontested race. Even if someone likes how someone is doing in office, she has said, they should consider running for office. Honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

Further, I would encourage those in the millennial generation to consider running for office. For the short time he was on the council, Jacob Fluty was a great example of a member of this younger generation stepping up to lead in his community. Another example which comes to mind is Garrett Irene. Though he was appointed to his current position, Irene has shown that he is willing to learn the position and is not afraid to lead by example for others of his generation.

My plea, if you will, to those of the millennial generation and Gen Z is to get involved in your local government. Even if you don’t want to pursue a career in politics and public service, just one term in either a county or municipal office could make a difference in your community.