Candidates will have to earn votes

The official filing deadline for political offices up for election on the November ballot came to a close on Friday. Based on the number of candidates who have filed for local positions, the races should prove to be interesting, to say the least.

Washougal City Council positions generated the most interest, with 12 candidates vying for four open seats. With the amount of controversy that has dogged the Council and some of the decisions and actions its members have made in recent months, this is not completely unexpected.

The stage has also been set for other local positions to have decent races. Incumbents will face challengers for spots on the East County Fire & Rescue Commission, Camas City Council, Camas mayor, and the Port of Camas-Washougal Commission.

It’s always a positive thing when voters have choices at the polls. In Camas and Washougal, there have been many instances over the years when incumbents were without even one opponent willing to step up. They sailed through the electoral process, without having to so much as submit a statement in the voter’s pamphlet.

Not so this year.

However, the quality of the candidates has yet to be proven. Filing for office certainly doesn’t qualify one to hold that seat. Incumbents and challengers are going to have to prove they are worthy of capturing the public’s vote. And how these men and women go about doing this will be telling. Past elections have proven that playing dirty politics doesn’t necessarily work in our communities. What the voters want to know is what unique qualities and perspectives candidates can bring to an elected position, and what would they change if given the chance.

In the coming months, the Post-Record will work to provide its readers with answers to those questions and more as it offers profiles of the men and women who will be working to earn the public’s vote come election time.