The national election race started two years early! We’re getting close to the one year mark and the politicians are already cramming their TV ads, billboards, and now emails and web sites down our throats.

In the meantime, here in Color Country, we’re going to have an election in just over a month that will have a much, much, MUCH greater impact on our lives. Specifically, municipal officials all over Color Country will be elected on November 6.

And this won’t be an election where you can sit back and think that your vote doesn’t count.

We’ve learned from the last two national elections that even in races where the votes number in the millions, the whole thing can turn on just a few votes difference. We’ve seen it happen. But the turnout is likely to be so small in the upcoming election that the chances of your vote being critical is even greater.

So, with that in mind, do you even have an idea who is running or what the issues are?

In St. George, the city council race is actually interesting since there are three “establishment” candidates running against three who are not. The candidates even describe it as a “three on three” race.

The six candidates are:

The “out” three

• Ed Baca
  Ed is retired from a job in municipal government in California and is a member of an important St. George demographic: People in St. George who have retired from a job somewhere else. Ed and Ben Nickle have formed an alliance and are actively campaigning together.
  Ed Baca Web Site
• Benjamin Nickle
  Ben Nickle is one of the youngest candidates and was the top vote getter in the primary election. He has created an issue supported by Ed Baca. They say the top people working for St. George city are paid too much.
  Benjamin Nickle Web Site
• Steven Swann
  I couldn’t find an election website, but there’s a good introduction on his bio page where he works now!
  The lack of an election web site is surprising because his background is focused on technology and media communications. How did he miss this?

The “in” three and the reason why …

• Gilbert Almquist - Chair, Planning Commission
  Almquist also owns a landscaping business. Hmmmmm …
  I couldn’t find an election web site or even one for his business. I guess this business hasn’t entered the internet age yet.
• Jon Pike - Chair, St. George Arts Commission, appointed by the mayor
  Perhaps we might assume that they’re on good terms. If you do a web search on his name, you’ll quickly discover that he does get on a lot of committees.
  Jon Pike Web Site
• Gloria Shakespeare - Chair, Neighborhood Enhancement Committee
  The Neighborhood Enhancement Committee is an inside group??? She’s described as a “homemaker” and that seems to fit.
  Gloria Shakespeare Web Site

The legendary machine politician, Tip O’Neill once declared that “All politics is local.” This is the kind of election where that’s true in blazing lights.