Don't Forget The Down-Ballot Races

To say that the presidential race has earned a lot of attention would be an understatement. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the two most hated candidates for national office in history, and if there is one thing Trump knows how to do, it’s creating headlines.

But regardless of the candidates, no single election should be so important. No single candidate for office, even one vying for President of the United States, deserves such attention to the exclusion of all else. The next president will be decided on November 8, but so will the outcomes of hundreds of other races across the country, from Senate and House elections, to control of the governor’s office in a dozen states, to contests for city council and other local offices. All will affect the lives of ordinary voters at least as much, if not more, than the question of whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next President.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been part of the problem. Most of the articles here at The Conservatory are about Trump. And likely will continue to be, at least through November, simply because he’s become an important part of any political conversation. But focus on down-ballot races should not be lost in the shuffle.

And this goes beyond control of Congress and the governorships. Tomorrow, I’ll revisit my initial assessments of those races from early September (which can be found here, here, and here). But the down ballot means the unsexy stuff too. State judges, board of education members, and charter amendments can all be just as important as the top of the ticket.

An example: I got my sample ballot in the mail about ten days ago. It runs three pages, beginning with the presidential race, followed by the contest for Maryland’s open Senate seat and the House seat for the Third District. Following that are about a half-dozen retention questions for various judges and members of the state Board of Education, a proposed constitutional amendment, and another half-dozen proposed changes to the county charter.

It would be easy—and perfectly understandable—for a voter to select choices for President and Congress, and leave the rest blank. Or, worse, select options at random, thereby nullifying the votes of people who took the time to research each question and make an informed decision.

A quick Google search of the first judge on the ballot turned up nothing objectionable, but after only a few minutes looking for information on the second judge, Dan Friedman, I found an article calling him the “chief architect” of the defense of a far-reaching state gun control bill passed in 2013.

Despite being a blue state, Maryland boasts many gun owners and proud Second Amendment defenders. But with all the attention and media coverage, both national and local, focused on the presidential race and control of the Senate, how many will bother spending the time to research judges?

Do your homework. Don’t go into the voting both unprepared. Judge Dan Friedman could have just as much of an impact on your life as President Hillary Clinton.