If you are a politician running for office in a large geographic area, how do you make yourself known in every part of a far-flung district with mixed demographics?
We’re going to find out how a variety of candidates go about it in the next couple of months. Of local interest, a state Senate race, a Congressional contest and several countywide face-offs are on the November General Election ballot. Each presents a special challenge: a lot of territory to cover, with few population concentrations and complex issues. There’s not a lot of time left before ballots are mailed in late October, and few candidates can spend full-time campaigning.
Modern campaigning is a different construct than it was in “olden” times — before social media became the primary outreach engine for many candidates, especially those with a lot of constituencies to address. Door-to-door can still have an impact in high-density areas where it’s worth the time and effort. But for most candidates, it’s not efficient. Private campaign gatherings or public forums reach more people in a single setting, while still having the advantage of personal contact. It makes a difference.
Some traditional campaign tropes persist — yard signs and billboards; newspaper, radio and television advertising; campaign volunteerism. There are still large audiences to reach through those activities.
Ultimately a combination of strategies is typically necessary, and how the resources get distributed by campaign organizations will require some research and informed planning. Incumbency or some other reason for name familiarity can be advantages — or sometimes work against a candidate. As can endorsements, whose value seems limited.
Which brings us to Okanogan County, the largest in the state, with voters spread from the Cascades crest to the Wauconda summit. Candidates for county offices are faced with familiarizing themselves with all parts of it, which means a lot of road time if they want to make it personal. Social media options abound, but they are increasingly fractured.
There are only two weekly newspapers — the Okanogan County Chronicle and Methow Valley News — each with loyal but limited circulation bases. That said, both newspapers have a history of devoting noteworthy resources to covering races of local interest, including interviews, Q&As and reporting on public forums. It may be self-serving to say so, but candidates should recognize the value of what newspapers can provide.
The 7th State Senate District is even larger, including several counties, a slice of Wenatchee and a Spokane suburb. There are many more media outlets to be aware of, and a bigger matrix of issues. For the most part, the predominant concerns in the 7th District are related to local and state issues as opposed to national politics. That is as it should be.
Even more challenging is the sprawling 4th Congressional District, which stretches between the Canada and Oregon borders. It’s difficult to make it personal over such a broad landscape in a relatively short period, which shifts the emphasis to mass means of connecting. National issues will definitely be a decision-driver for voters.
What does that all mean for the Methow Valley, whose residents are included in all those jurisdictions? It depends. We are most likely to see candidates who are running for county offices, fairly likely to see candidates in the 7th District Senate race, and least likely to be visited by 4th District candidates — although Democrat John Duresky has been here a few times.
The valley is certainly more far removed from easy access than many parts of the county, 4th District and 7th District. Be we can have influence beyond what casual observation might suggest. We turn out in high numbers. We skew “blue.” Particularly in county contests, our dependable participation can make a difference.
All the candidates have contact information. Whether they are responsive may be a crap-shoot. But it doesn’t hurt to try, especially to remind them that we here, we are paying attention, and we participate. Here’s some advice for candidates: Scattering a few campaign signs won’t be nearly as effective in the Methow Valley as making a determined effort to learn about us, and give us an opportunity to learn more about you. Old-fashioned, sure, but it matters.
