Is there a way to beat the power of incumbency in local political races?
That is a question that is asked not only in Martin County but in the entire country. The lack of people running against incumbents can be for several reasons. Americans may really be satisfied with their local boards, or two no one cares enough to run. I believe it is a sense of despair for the hurdles of running against an incumbent. In many respects, the perk of incumbency is often too much to defeat.
Just last week, the qualifying period for two seats on the Stuart commission were up. One, Becky Bruner had no opposition and is consequently automatically re-elected. The other, Troy McDonald, will face token opposition from Caryn Hall, his same opponent in 2020.
When I went on the city’s website today, they were still advertising the 2020 election all the way on the bottom of their home page. As if a year later, it was relevant in anyway. There was not a mention of the seats up in 2021. This happened in the 2019 races also.
Dreamtime
It is not only the City of Stuart but every presently elected official in the county that seeks to minimize the competition. City races are non-partisan, but when it comes to the county commission, the race takes up a supposed partisan track. There are primaries that serve to act more as a barrier than anything else.
In Martin County, everyone that runs in a partisan election runs as a Republican. This is a one-party county, and it shows. Unless you have been here more than a decade, you probably have not seen a candidate run as a Democrat in a county commission race.
That is not because we do not have Democrats but only because they feel running as a Democrat will result in their defeat. In Doug Smith’s last race, his opponent, Jo Neeson, ran as a Republican. Jo is anything but a member of the GOP. In fact, she had changed party affiliation to Republican to vote in the last election for that seat so she could vote for Smith’s opponent. She just ran out of time to change back before the qualifying period.
In Florida, if there are only members of the same party running in the primary, then all voters can vote regardless of party affiliation. The primary is, in essence, the general election. Martin County is not known for Democrats running as Democrats. Therefore, if all registered voters were allowed to vote in a primary, it would be fair.
There is a little quirk in the election law that states a primary would be closed to those of a different or no party affiliation if someone registers to run as a write-in candidate in the general election. Their name will not appear on the ballot, they pay no qualifying fees, and do not campaign. They are, in effect when this tactic is employed, a ringer, which means that Democrats and all others who are not Republicans are prevented from voting in the primary.
While perfectly legal, is it ethical or moral? This is how Neeson, who had changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican to vote four years before for Smith’s rival, had been stuck between parties so to speak. The Smith/Neeson race had a last-minute ringer file.
The same happened four years before in Smith’s race with Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch. A high school kid filed as a write-in to close the primary. Where should we go from here? The legislature just completed changing voting laws to fix a problem that Florida did not have. Here is a problem they do have.
The legislature needs to enact term limits on all elected offices except constitutional ones. If eight years is good enough on the state level, it certainly should be for local offices. The City of Stuart’s recent charter review board recommended 2 four-year terms for the commission. The city commission decided not to go with those limits but instead increase them to 3 four-year terms or a total of 12 consecutive years. Local politicians will never do what is necessary in this regard.
Currently, municipal elections are nonpartisan. That should be extended to all local boards including constitutional officers. With that one change, there are no longer partisan primaries excluding voters. In the initial election in August, all candidates run, and if one receives more than 50%, then they are declared the winner. Otherwise, the two candidates with the most votes go on to the general election. In both instances, all voters vote, and no one is shut out of the process.
The Founders never wanted to have elected office become a career. I do not believe most voters envisioned a city as small as Stuart providing not only a salary but medical and retirement benefits. There are retired city commissioners receiving taxpayer supported pensions.
If we are looking for civic involvement, we need to take the career out of local officeholder and pursue the spirit of looking at it as a volunteer position. Americans, Floridians and especially Martin County residents have lost our way. Let us get it back.