Scott Woods Wants Your Vote for Mayor (Sort of)
Watching last night’s Democratic Presidential debate and the 12 candidates still running for president (which is about eight too many), I was struck by how different the elections next month will be here in Columbus.
Our longstanding Bermuda Triangle of anti-democracy — by which I mean the don’t-bother-voting zone of City Council — is perplexing enough, with its oligarchical playbook of Council installing whomever it wants and having the person campaign for votes a year after they’ve already had the job (35 of the last 39 members were appointed, not elected).
Making matters worse, the highest profile job in the city — mayor — has one candidate. Incumbent Mayor Andrew Ginther is running completely unopposed. There isn’t even a whacked-out outlier without a chance in hell vying for the free beer at campaign fundraisers.
For a Democratic Party, it sure doesn’t like using the value system for which it’s named.