It goes without saying that local elections in 2011 lack the big themes and the powerhouse messaging of the 2008 presidential campaign or even the 2010 congressional campaign.<\/p>\n
But as we tot up the votes from yesterday’s balloting, I think there are some broad themes here.<\/p>\n
First, despite some of the grumbling that we hear here on the In Box, North Country elections are often vibrant, feisty contests.<\/p>\n
Some well-established incumbents — Noel Merrihew in Elizabethtown and Mickey Desmarais in Tupper Lake come to mind — were nudged aside this time.<\/p>\n
By my rough tally, more than a dozen mayors and town supervisors were toppled and Ogdensburg’s city mayor is hanging on by a handful of votes.<\/p>\n
Secondly, it’s also clear that Republicans no longer have anything like a lock on the region’s politics.\u00a0 Even at a time when the GOP is faring very well nationally, Democrats held their own yesterday.<\/p>\n
In the town of Essex, incumbent Sharon Boisen was a particular target for Republicans but she won another term.\u00a0 Dems also made gains on the Clinton County legislature and cruised to another victory in Potsdam.<\/p>\n
(Republicans also did well in a lot of races.\u00a0 There’s no evidence that Democrats have any real advantage, but this is now a part of New York where every election is, at least theoretically, in play.)<\/p>\n
Thirdly, a lot of these races are hyper-local.\u00a0 Fierce contests in Brighton and Crown Point pivoted on personality as much as policy.<\/p>\n
Finally, I think it’s fair to say that these are elections where voters – particularly committed, organized voters – can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n
In Potsdam, activists prevailed in the debate over dissolution of the village.\u00a0 In Warren County, the Lake George Citizens Group swept the town board and claimed the supervisor’s race.<\/p>\n
Does all that add up to big drama?\u00a0 Not really.\u00a0 But it does add up to a whole lot of grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor democracy.<\/p>\n
Big In Box kudos to everyone who voted, and particularly to the candidates (winners and losers) who jumped into the fray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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