POLITICAL CANDIDATES BEING ENDORSED BY FIRST RESPONDERS IS ALL ABOUT TRUST

By: Jeff Crampton

In today’s politically unsettled environment, regardless of a candidate’s party affiliation, core values are more important than they’ve been in decades. And most people would agree that first responders represent many of our traditional core values. So, for someone running for office, building a trust-based relationship with first responders is crucial. ticians, making good on their campaign promises is the key to building trust with first responders, and with voters.

Trust is an “evergreen” currency that cannot be bought, and is built over time through actions, not campaign slogans. Politicians who seek to align themselves with first responders need to deliver on their promises to them, and work to achieve results that are relevant to them.

First responders are, and have always been, a vital part of any community. They are the ones who run towards danger when everyone else is running away. They work long hours in difficult and often dangerous conditions to keep us safe. They are also a politically active group, and their endorsements can be the difference between winning and losing an election.

But first responders are skeptical by nature. And they have seen politicians make promises they don’t keep, and they’re wary of anyone who claims to support them without delivering on it. For poli-

Take the case of Carrie Cox in Henderson. Cox ran on a platform of addressing rising crime, public safety issues, and supporting first responders. She also received endorsements from the city’s police and fire unions. But endorsements are not enough. Cox has delivered on her promises to the first responders who supported her. She has shown them that she is more than willing to invest her time, efforts, and energy into addressing their concerns.

Her victory over the city endorsed candidate, was not just a result of the first responder’s endorsements she received. It was also a result of her genuine willingness to work with and be a champion for our law enforcement and firefighter Heroes.

One of the ways she did this was by con- tradicting the city’s narrative that Henderson was the “second safest city in the country.” She told voters the truth about rising crime statistics at her speaking events, which repeated the first responder narrative that economic growth without public safety capabilities keeping pace, would be problematic even in a best-case scenario, and dangerous for residents in a worst.

By delivering on her campaign promises, even before being elected, and showing her commitment to public safety, Cox earned the trust of the first responders and voters who gave her a victory in her race.

In contrast, politicians who make promises they don’t keep, and fail to deliver on their commitments, can quickly lose the trust of first responders and voters. This can be seen in the case of some members of the Henderson City Council, who were endorsed by first responders in their elections, but failed them by deliberately endorsing candidates who were running against other first responder-endorsed candidates. They did this for their own political agendas and in direct opposition to the trust and support they had received from first responders.

To build trust with first responders and voters, politicians need to be honest and transparent about their intentions. They should be willing to listen to the concerns of first responders and work with them to find solutions. And most importantly, spend their time, efforts, and energy supporting the men and women who keep our communities safe.

In conclusion, alignment with first responders can be a political gold mine, but it also comes with responsibilities. Politicians who seek their support should build a trust-based relationship with them and the voters they serve.

By doing so, they will enjoy a mutually beneficial association with a loyal group of political allies and help to create safer communities at the same time. MV