Local midterm winners will make big decisions

The midterm elections do not drum up anywhere near the level of excitement we see for the presidential election.

The word “midterm” alone does no favors to the campaign season that comes in between presidential elections. Yet think about how much more our daily lives are affected by the midterm elections.

We feel state initiatives more directly than those from the presidential administration. The governor, comptroller, attorney general and our members of the General Assembly were all on the ballot this and every midterm.

Every elected office at the county level is on the ballot every midterm election. That means those who decide how our tax dollars are spent here at home on public safety, schools and roads, those who lead our county law enforcement offices and those who maintain our public records were all up for a vote during this election.

Serving a term of only two years, our member of the U.S. House of Representatives is on the ballot during the midterms and the presidential election. One of our two U.S. senators also was on this year’s ballot.

Those are a lot of races. By the time this editorial is published, Charles County voters, in addition to helping decide state and federal races, will have chosen a new Board of County Commissioners, and potentially selected other new local and state leaders. We can say for certain there is a new state senator representing the county, after incumbent Thomas “Mac” Middleton (D-Charles) failed to progress through the primar y election last June. And there will be a new delegate with Democrat Sally Jameson retiring.

Regardless of who has emerged victorious this election, we congratulate all of the candidates on taking the time and making the effort to throw their hat in and launch a campaign. Every state race was a contested one this November, and it is truly uplifting to see that level of involvement locally in our midterms. We saw opposing groups purchase full-page political ads in this newspaper regarding hot-topic issues in this election season. We’ve also published letters submitted by readers commenting on these issues and the candidates.

The president can sign all the executive orders he wants, but he won’t be deciding what development comes next for the county, or where teachers’ next pay steps and retiree benefits will come from, or how many deputies will be on patrol in our local neighborhoods at any given time.

These are issues decided by leaders chosen in midterm election years, even though typically far fewer voters cast a ballot than those who make their voices heard in presidential elections.

To our new and re-elected officials who are celebrating a win in Charles County today, we extend our congratulations and this reminder, that even though midterm candidates never receive the same hype as those running for president, your service to this community is invaluable. We feel the effects of your leadership more directly than any others. As you move forward and begin this transition of power, or embark on another term in office, we trust you will treat your elected position seriously and set to work as promised for the betterment of all of the county’s residents.

Full election coverage will be featured in our Friday, Nov. 9, edition of the Maryland Independent. In the meantime, find up-to-date election coverage on our website at www.somdnews.com.