On the Campaign Trail The Importance of Local Politics

By Matt Meduri Matt Meduri

Political participation is one of the most consistentlydiscussed facets of today’s society. The practice has always been revered and valued by Americans throughout this country’s history, so much so that literal wars have been fought over it and entire movements have been based upon obtaining this right, and rightfully so.

However, we’ve reached a much different style of discussion regarding political participation, with some believing it’s the most important action you can take - and some even advocating for compulsory voting - while others believe the entire action is a pointless ritual serving only to purvey the “illusion of choice.”

There are decent arguments for both of these ideas, but as the political campaigns wear on, these different opinions experience their own campaigns as well, typically in line with highly contentious, nationalized elections. This is largely owed to the objective evils and intentional division perpetrated on the public by the mainstream media - the days of Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw are over. If the media utilized the classical journalistic approach and simply megaphoned information for the public to make their own decisions, some major political developments over the last ten years might have played out in a completely different way.

That said, while the importance of local journalism is constantly reiterated, with it goes the importance of local politics, and how your local elections are much more likely to affect your everyday life than what goes on in the White House.

Every quadrennial presidential election gets its coverage from the media and the hype from the crowds, the most politically-engaged of whom will say voting is “the most important thing you can do,” or even the more hyperbolic phrases such as “your life literally depends on it.” The presidential races often run in tandem with the big prizes of U.S. Senate and U.S. House, the latter of which can be more reflective of local politics but is still subject to the wild swings of the idiosyncratic “what-we-can’t-have” American electorate and the throes of reactionary politics. These elections tend to be so high-stakes that it can be difficult to feel fully engaged and truly understand policy in a non-slanted or non-esoteric way, yet they still attract the most turnout in any jurisdiction with respect to any other type of election year.

The quadrennial midterm elections fall between the presidential races and attract a significant amount of turnout, especially since the last two elections of 2018 and 2022. Again, as reactionary politics endures and as split-ticket voting declines, outcomes can be more predictable and less accurate of the truly “in-between” political sectionalism that can be seen from space, as long as you’re looking down at a county map. “Red” or “blue” states don’t give the whole picture. Incorporating margins of victory, county-level results, and comparing it to historical trends and norms makes for a much richer understanding of why certain parts of our country vote the way they do.

But then we get to 2023, and election years like it, and a typical response is: “I didn’t know there was an election this year.” Anyone at your favorite local newspaper - we hope it’s this one - will always reply with “every year is an election year.”

The sad reality is that while people are so consumed with sensationalist media coverage of politicians whose decisions will never affect them, elections for school boards, library trustees, and even fire departments are holding elections. While 2023 is a bit more high-profile than hyper-local elections, the point still stands: these are your neighborhood services and instead of obsessing over a career politician from Kentucky or Vermont whose decisions will hardly - if ever - affect your life, there are people who live around the corner from you on the ballot who can affect your life.

This year, Suffolk County will be given the opportunity to elect or re-elect a whole slate of candidates. All eighteen

Legislators on the Suffolk County Legislature are up for re-election, as their twoyear terms will expire by January. Seven townships - all except Babylon, Huntington, and Smithtown - are holding Town Supervisor elections, in addition to the coveted County Executive race, a position to which a Republican has not been elected since 1999.

Additionally, town council, town clerk, tax receiver, and mayoral elections will all occur within their proper jurisdictions, among other positions on the ballot.

Local elections are a much better barometer for the political lean of any given area since those are the voters who will show up rain or shine, are more involved in their communities, and are not as influenced by the mainstream media’s take on the parties and hot-button issues.

Moreover, hot-button issues have much less of a home in your own backyard than they do in the national spotlight. Because local elected officials actually have to answer to the people they represent, being more aligned with local matters and frustrations will not only see less nationalization of an election, but also more cooperation across party lines. Even as the parties have attacked each other over the recent sewer matter, it’s better it’s about a local issue rather than something that doesn’t affect the majority of Long Islanders.

A great example is the need for Suffolk electeds to be mindful of environmental matters. While Republicans in other states might not take a similar approach, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) understands the environmental needs of Long Island, especially the East End. A national Republican wouldn’t work here, and neither would a national Democrat. The particular nature of local politics will breed a more pragmatic approach to government as those serving in government call this Island home as well.

And where local politics matters more than anything else: these are people you can get a hold of. These are people you can find at their offices. These are people you can spot at your local town day, street festival, or even the National Night Out celebrations held across the county a couple weeks ago.

So, don’t sit this one out. If you don’t know where your elected officials stand on certain issues, simply call his or her office. Simply pay them visits. Track them down at a local event, shake their hands, and ask them tough questions. That’s more than you’ll ever get from the federal or statewide elected officials - except for Congressman LaLota, who understands the beauty and purpose of retail politics.

It’s not completely untrue to say that the big-ticket elections don’t have some effect on the lives of everyday Americans, and it’s also not completely misleading to say that we tend to pay more attention to an oligarchical uniparty than we do our local legislators.

It’s a fair point to say that one should not complain to a massive extent about a situation without being involved to a certain extent. There’s no better way to get involved than to understand and participate in local politics.