Local Republican candidates see 'trickle down' effect in 2010 mid-terms

It’s been about a week since the 2010 mid-term elections and those who took interest in campaigns at different levels have been able to absorb the results and breakdown individual races by now. While there are plenty of people you can turn to for their opinions on the change of power at the federal level in the House of Representatives, there were also some things to note on the local level right here in Platte County regarding Republican victories in all contests.

A popular political phrase says all politics are local. I usually agree, but it seems 2010’s mid-term elections and the Republican Party’s sweep of each elected office on the ballot in Platte County didn’t make for one of the phrase’s strongest arguments because the national political environment shaped nearly every race in Platte County. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, most well-informed citizens could see the tide that was coming on the federal level with Republican gains. History tells us that after two years of strong one-party control of two houses of Congress and the Presidency, and only small improvements on the economy it was bound to happen. Democrats were likely to lose a considerable amount of seats.

Without a credible congressional challenge to Republican incumbent Congressman Sam Graves for a debate regarding these federal issues, it appears those debates and considerations were then passed down to the local level. Republican candidates used this to their advantage. From U.S. Senate to County Commission to State Representative, Republican and conservative candidates used a series of focused, consistent messages: out of control spending, job creation, and lower taxes. Every candidate made their campaign about the federal level and used it in their local race. Whether it applied to the respective office being campaigned for or not, it didn’t matter.

Although Republicans might want to disagree, Election Night brought some surprises, especially when incumbents County Clerk Sandy Krohne, County Auditor Siobhann Williams, and State Representative Jason Grill were defeated. Most political observers saw these office holders as strong enough to survive, even despite a high conservative voter turnout. More Independents and/or Republicans voted for these incumbents compared to open seats as indicated by their closer margins, but many of the races featuring open seats such as Presiding Commissioner, County Collector, 29th and 30th State Representative, and State Senator appeared to have similar percentages, indicating the possibility many voters voted on straight party ticket basis.

In an election with these results, it’s not common to see Independents break against the tide so it’s likely they broke Republican. When you mix in an extremely low turnout from the Democratic base, you’ve got your recipe for a complete sweep. For example, in Riverside, traditionally one of the strongest Democratic areas in the county, Jason Grill split the vote exactly 50/50 with challenger Ron Schieber. It isn’t likely Riverside became more independent in 2010, but more likely many traditionally Democrats didn’t vote. Democrats across the state believe this could have been one trickledown effect of a poorly managed campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan and its inability to generate support and encouragement from Democratic voters in her bid against Roy Blunt to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Kit Bond.

With this election year in the books, residents will only get a brief break from what now seems like constant campaigning. Not only is the 2012 presidential race already shaping up, but local school board elections are this spring. In southern Platte County, voters can also look forward to what guarantees to be an interesting race for Mayor of Kansas City.