http://www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/editorials/x2016444150/Edit...
When it comes to elections for the state Legislature, Massachusetts is the least competitive state in the union. Last year, just 17 percent of House races were contested.
That should trouble all but the most hardened partisans. When candidates don't challenge incumbents, political conversations don't happen, pluses and minuses don't get vetted, voters don't get heard and office-holders don't get reminded about who is boss.
That's why we're pleased to see Ed McGrath, a Framingham Republican, toss his hat into the ring for next year's election. He's challenging state Sen. Karen Spilka, Democrat from Ashland. We have plenty of respect for Spilka, who has served four years in the House and is in her third Senate term. But, like the vast majority of incumbents, she was re-elected without opposition last year. It's good to see she won't get a free ride next year.
Bay State Republicans are sensing an opportunity. The Democrats who control the Legislature and the governor's office, faced with the worst budget crisis in a generation, have had to make unpopular choices about cutting services and raising taxes, and there are more tough decisions ahead.
Republicans have a long way to go before they can wield much clout on Beacon Hill. Republicans hold just five out of 40 seats in the state Senate, just 16 out of 160 seats in the House. But before they can grab a share of power, they have to find candidates. If every Republican on the ballot in 2008 had won, the Democrats would still have controlled both houses of the Legislature.
It's too early for voters to pay close attention to an election still more than a year away, especially with an important special election coming up to fill Ted Kennedy's vacant U.S. Senate seat. But it's not too early for those who feel the call to serve - whatever their party - to think seriously about bringing their talents to the Legislature. It's not an easy decision: You have to ask others for lots of money and invest your own money and months of your time - and the odds of winning are rarely in a challenger's favor. For the few who succeed in taking down an incumbent, it usually takes two tries.
Massachusetts needs a two-party debate on Beacon Hill. Republicans must be more than gadflies; they must propose solutions to thorny problems, not just criticize those who do. But first they must find candidates.
But you don't have to be a Republican to challenge an incumbent. A contested race in a Democratic primary can also be positive in terms of airing issues, exposing differences and giving voters a choice.
So we hope others with good ideas and the urge to serve will follow Ed McGrath's example. Even the best incumbents deserve to be challenged, either in a primary or by someone of the opposite party. There's nothing democratic (with a small "d") about an uncontested election. |
