Editorial: Who will try for these positions?

Talk about it

Two years of marathon campaigning ended with last week’s historic presidential election. We can be excused for claiming voter fatigue.

Elections? We’re done with those for now, right?

Well, not quite. Believe it or not, just after Thanksgiving — beginning Dec. 1 — local citizens can pick up nomination papers to run for school board, city council and town of Kinnickinnic board (Kinnickinnic has a primary voting system like the city).

Local candidates must file by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, to be eligible for spring elections April 7. Already, one city council candidate, Mike Woolsey, announced in a letter last week he wasn’t running again.

Woolsey urged others to seek his position: “I encourage judicious, community-minded residents of the third district to run for city council. Campaigning begins in December.”

That’s the drawback to local elections. Candidacy papers and, in some cases, signatures, must be gotten during the prime holiday season that extends through New Year’s. With lots of distractions — traveling, vacations, get-togethers, special meals, gift giving — it’s hard to pay attention to community politics.

So we’re getting the word out now. If you’d like to influence the direction taken by our schools or how local government operates, try running for public office. No experience is needed. Many of our accomplished local representatives started as novices. They learn quickly on the job.

Here are elected positions open this spring and the current officer holders: