Why I voted for 3 local republicans

[MyMission]

No, I'm not a traitor! I always vote for the Democratic candidate whenever there's one on the ballot. And I generally don't vote for any R candidates, even if they're running unopposed. I was feeling generous, and wacky. That's my excuse.

I live in a red zone, and 9 out of 17 races on my ballot had no Democratic challenger,
so no "choice". I voted for the sheriff (who isn't an authoritarian like the former one) and the DA (who isn't incompetent like the former one). I figured if I ever came before them (unlikely) I could honestly say "I voted for you" They'd win in any case, but I did not vote for their predecessors, who won and were removed from office. I also voted for a local district judge, because I know him and he ran unopposed, but I'd have voted for a Dem if one were running.

There were 6 other R only races that I had to confirm I was skipping, including our NC state House rep, which should have had a Democratic challenger!, 3 county commissioners, clerk of courts, and registrar of deeds. The county is red, and so are the commissioners and officials. Sometimes Dems run candidates for those local offices, but it's demoralizing for us as we keep losing.

I know my rural area is 60% red, but hopefully the 40% blue folks will add to the large democratic and independent voters throughout the state, and we'll elect Beasely for Senate. I'm not as hopeful about my congressional representative, district 11, who will replace disgraced cawthorn, but it's possible as the Dem challenger is Female. The R candidate is male, local, mature, a former town councilman and a respected businessman. Not a magat, which is the best I can say.

As for school board, which is supposed to be nonpartisan, we could pick 3, I picked only 1, the only Democrat running. That dilutes the other votes, boosts the one.

So now I wait for election day and results, for NC and the rest of the country.
Many races are competitive, women are pissed, and I don't believe the polls.
The local rethugs I voted for, and those I didn't vote for would win in any case.

Hope my 3 local R votes won't get me in trouble here or cause distress, but I had to be truthful and also wanted to mention the lack of democratic challengers.

[bullimiami]

1. Here in south Charlotte I had maybe a dozen dems in my ballot running unopposed.

Nary a R.

I’d be hard put to give any R even a token vote now.

[claudette]

2. I consider it as one of my proudest achievements

That I have NEVER and will NEVER vote GOP. It has now become a matter of principle with me but we all do what we think is right. Right?

By the way. I am registered as No Party Affiliation but as liberal as they come!!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. In your state, are you able to vote in primaries?

[claudette]

5. No. Not in

New York State. I can change my registration to a major party if a primary is close and then change it back.

[MyMission]

8. I was born and raised in NYC

Voted there for 24 years, unaffiliated and always a liberal voter too!
You should be proud.

I moved to western NC 20 years ago, and as unaffiliated here I get to vote in either primary. This county is very red. I've voted in only 2 gop primaries, and have voted for a handful of rethugs in general elections over the years, always because they were unopposed, going to win anyway, and I approved of them somewhat. It galls me every time I've done it, but I think it serves a purpose for me.

Essentially it gives me the ability to have a dialogue with red folks in my area, by appearing to be bipartisan, when I'm actually a socialist leaning liberal. I don't always show my true self to them. It's a very different world from NYC, and it's not even as bizarre as other parts of the south.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I understand.

I live in very blue northern New Mexico, lucky me, but as I was filling out my ballot yesterday in early voting, I thought the entire time about what it would be like to be a Republican and have so many races without a Republican challenger.

I used to live in red Kansas, and actually ran for office there in 2008. I was up against a moderate incumbent Republican, back before the state became so obscenely right wing. I ran for the Kansas State House, and even though I lost, it was clear to the Democratic party that the seat was winnable. I didn't want to run again, and was able to persuade a fellow Democrat to run the next time. He won, hooray! And won re-election. Alas, the overwhelming right wing move in Kansas made him unelectable the third term.

[MyMission]

9. Thank you

Every few years the local Dems here do run candidates, but at a 60/40 disadvantage we don't win. I understand and agree we need to be in the races anyway, to make our presence known, but after each loss the candidates, backers, strategists reevaluate, deciding to run candidates for different offices or different candidates next time.
Decisions are made to put money and energy towards winnable races.

You used the term unelectable, which is a sad word. It's hard to plan and recruit candidates for an office when the candidate is considered unelectable. Not sure what the point spread is for that to be decided.

[brush]

6. You can not vote for every race on the ballot.

Leave the ones without a Dem candidate and move on to next one. Do not help any republican because of what they will do to POC communities and issues.

[MyMission]

10. I usually ignore the ones with no Dem candidate

But every once in a while I don't. I've voted in 2 R primaries and for a handful of R's in unopposed races over the past 2 decades.

This was one of those rare times I boosted the R vote by one. I'm officially an unaffiliated voter, so not recorded as a Dem voting for a rethug.

[mtngirl47]

7. Here's a thought---Be a part of the solution!

I am also in District 11 and our county has Democrats on all but the two District 30 Court Judge seats.

Democrats need to run for school board, sheriff, county commissioner, register of deeds, etc. As they say---All Politics is Local!

Get active with your County Democratic Party and help them recruit candidates for 2024. Identify the people who attend county commissioner or city meetings who stand up to speak. See who writes letters to the editor and ask them to get involved. When Democrats run you need to support them with your time and money if you can.

I understand the "losing" aspect---in some of the surrounding counties I know elected officials who are Democrat leaning but run as independents just so they can get elected. Maybe that's what we need to do in some counties in Western NC.

Thanks for voting! The early vote numbers look great and the comments I'm hearing on the ground are heartening.

[MyMission]

11. I do my part! Hope you do yours.

I work at a store on main Street, meet many visitors and tourists, some looking to move to the area. Folks from all over, and actually most from other parts of NC move here. But I encourage those I perceive as left leaning to move to our county and vote blue, and have had quite a few do just that over the past 15 years, including a few from Buncombe.

I've attended Dem events and meetings, donate, do voter outreach. Running some candidates as an independent/unaffiliated might work. I don't see a Dem getting elected in my county. Remember Heath Schuler, our yellow dog democratic congressman before we were gerrymandered? Politics has gotten so much more polarized since then.

I understand why decisions are made to put funding and resources towards winnable races, especially at a local level. But I was very upset there was no challenger to our state house representative. I'll certainly bring that to the attention of our local Dem party, as well as the need for more Dems to run for school board especially.

I'm encouraged by the early voting numbers, and hopeful NC can flip a Senate seat to blue.