The City of Midland is hopeful that people are engaging with those five candidates running in the special election for an at-large candidate.
We congratulate those candidates who have decided to throw their names into the race. It takes courage these days to run for public office. These five are serious about their intentions, and we believe the community has a responsibility to hear from each and make an educated decision on the person that is best to represent all of Midland.
The City of Midland doesn’t have a dog in the fight. At Midland City Hall, we work for the residents and those seven representatives they elected. But we also fear there might not be a high turnout for this election.
The last time there was a special election for an at-large seat was 2008. That year, 6.79% of the registered voters inside the city voted, meaning the winner needed less than 2,000 (city-wide) to win the election. We don’t know how many voters will show up in May, but we hope more than 6% of the electorate weighs in on the direction of Midland.
Again, congratulations to the five who have decided to run for office. Running city-wide is not a small task, and you have big shoes to fill as the Midland City Council is a premier local government board.
Now is a serious time in Midland. Our community is unrivaled across the region and state, and our residents deserve the best representation to move us forward. Inside the City of Midland, we have a motto, “Be the Energy,” and in the next few months our communications team will provide more information about what that means to our residents.
But for the next couple months, we hope you consider to “Be the Energy” and become informed on what the candidates for the empty seat on the Midland City Council stand for and how they can help Midland become a better community. It is a worthy exercise in community development and citizen participation in government.
Remember, early voting for the special election will take place from April 22-26 and April 29-30. City of Midland residents inside Midland County can early vote at the Midland County Annex, 2110 N. “A” St. City of Midland residents inside Martin County can early vote at the Martin County Election Administrator’s Office, 110 W. School, in Stanton. There will be 12 voting centers on Election Day.
May the best candidate win, and may our electorate be educated and engaged in deciding who that best person is.