SB 80, introduced yesterday by Sen. Mike McGinness (R-Fallon), would make a number of public offices - including county clerk, county commissioners and district attorney - “non-partisan” races. That would mean the candidate’s party affiliation would not appear on the ballot.
Let’s put this one to bed quickly: There is no such thing as a non-partisan race. There is no such thing as a non-partisan race. There is no such thing as a non-partisan race. There is no such thing…
Partisans hoping to attain higher political offices use so-called “non-partisan” positions as stepping stones to advance their ambitions. Witness just this past election how former University Regent Jill Derby used her “non-partisan” position as a regent to run as a Democrat candidate for Congress. And remember that Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Las Vegas) used her position as a “non-partisan” university regent to win her seat in the very partisan House of Representatives.
Democrats and Republicans have very different ideas on the proper role of government - or at least they’re supposed to. That’s why we have two different parties. A candidate’s party affiliation is one of the best indicators of whether or not a particular candidate will perform in office along the same lines as a given voter would prefer.
Rather than make more offices “non-partisan,” maybe a better idea would be to make all offices, including judicial, partisan. Gimme a good Republican judge over a touchy-feely hug-a-thug Democrat judge any day of the week.
Posted on February 13th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
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