Some very important elections are on the calendar for next year in Kentucky. We will elect all of our local officials, the entire state House of Representatives, half of the Senate, and either 40 or 60 percent of school board members, depending on the district. We'll also choose the whole U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate.
Yet with only nine months to go before the primary next May, and with no races on the ballot here in the Bluegrass this year except for special elections to fill vacancies, there's an eerie lack of talk about the 2022 races.
Quite frankly, this is amazing. In so many counties and cities, incumbents have practically been begging for opposition due to their words and deeds (and in many cases, lack of deeds) during their current terms. But despite so much criticism that's been levied against certain officeholders, no one has stepped forward to run against them. In the communities I'm most familiar with, I'm not aware of any potential candidate who has declared his or her candidacy and is actively campaigning. One online acquaintance of mine has announced his run for county clerk in his home county, but that's a couple of hours away from here. The silence is deafening concerning next year's races.
This just doesn't make sense. Local ballots are typically crowded, with a number of candidates seeking office. One would logically think that with controversial incumbents in the mix, the earlier a challenger announces, the better.
Now is an ideal time for someone looking to unseat an officeholder to get name recognition, make their positions known, raise money, establish social media presences, run introductory ads, sponsor local events, enter floats in parades, and hand out trinkets like pens, keychains, and the like at festivals and ballgames and other happenings attended by the public. Early filers can consolidate support, potentially freeze out other challengers, and start the journey on the uphill climb that beating an incumbent usually is.
Those already in office have a distinct advantage in publicity over challengers. By virtue of their position, they get media coverage not available to private citizens. They have all sorts of public resources at their disposal to promote themselves. They get invited to ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings and other public events, where they can smile for the cameras or make a few remarks. There's a name for it in the world of politics and public relations. It's called "earned media."
Incumbents have track records -- good or bad -- on which to run. Challengers have only their promises and ideas, and they have to be relentless in making their positions known to the public to overcome the built-in advantages of incumbency.
I've long said that I have no desire to run for public office. I'd much rather be Karl Rove than George W. Bush -- or to make it bipartisan, I'd rather be Rahm Emanuel than Barack Obama.
But if I was going to run, especially against an incumbent that has made questionable or controversial decisions or statements, I'd already be on the campaign trail. I would have already declared my candidacy to garner early publicity and would have started attacking the incumbent's positions.
Next year's races will provide ample fodder for challengers. The events of the last two years have angered a lot of constituents and voters. The public will have a chance to weigh in on whether or not they agree with the decisions that have been made. Taxpayers who have been dissatisfied with the way officials have responded to their complaints and opinions finally have the opportunity to make that displeasure known in a tangible way. There's an undercurrent of dissent that's ripe for a challenger to tap into, but someone has to take that opportunity while it's there.
This is already happening in some of the state legislative races, where Republicans fed up with incumbents' go-along-to-get-along RINOism are actively mounting challenges. Actions by the majority in the recent special legislative session are expected to result in even more primary races against current legislators. These candidates know the value of starting early and building momentum.
We already have candidates positioning themselves for the 2023 Kentucky governor's race. One Republican has filed preliminary papers already to run, and others are publicly exploring the possibility. And that primary is nearly two years away. Yet for all the complaints publicly voiced against current officials in my area, the silence is deafening when it comes to people actually looking to run next year.
Time's a-wastin.' May 2022 will be here before we know it. Candidates who are serious about running need to step up now to make sure their voices are heard first and loudest, and don't get lost in a rush of last-minute filers.
