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March 6, 2010

TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORIAL: A new cycle begins in county politics

Plots, subplots abound in this year’s election

The Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Tue Mar 09, 2010, 09:56 AM EST

TERRE HAUTE — The sudden emergence four years ago of a revived and relevant Republican Party in Terre Haute and Vigo County led to the GOP capturing the prosecutor’s office and, a year later, the mayor’s office. Neither had housed a Republican in quite a while.

The shift was dramatic and, in political terms, refreshing. The ugly in-fighting that wreaked havoc with local Democrats proved to be distasteful to the voting public. The Republicans capitalized.

But now the cycle has come around. After a year off for voters, another election year has arrived.

Prosecutor Terry Modesitt, who won the open office in the 2006 general election, will now do his best as a Republican incumbent to defend his post. He is unopposed in the spring primary.

Democrats, on the other hand, are poised for another epic primary battle that will feature two candidates. Each is supported by one of the party’s two warring factions, the figureheads of which are longtime political hay-makers Bob Wright and Joe Anderson.

The big tussle for the Dems features Hal Johnston, a flamboyant courtroom attorney with years of experience prosecuting the bad guys, and Gary Rider, a former city and county judge who brings a history of court service on the bench, as well as a deputy prosecutor and public defender. Rider appears to be favored by the Anderson wing, while Johnston appears to be favored by the Wright faction.

It is always interesting to see how these races develop, but there is more intrigue than usual this year because the Democrats are on the outside looking in. One thing both factions will agree on is that a split party after the primary, will have a hard time defeating the incumbent Republican. Vigo County historically favors the Democrat candidate in local elections, so GOP disciples know that a divided Democratic Party gives their party’s candidate a much better chance to win.

In fact, how Democrats respond to the outcome of Rider vs. Johnston may be as important to local politics as who actually wins. The entire drama will foreshadow the looming 2011 city election, in which Republican Mayor Duke Bennett is expected to seek re-election. As in this year’s prosecutor’s race, a united Democratic Party will be essential to recapturing the mayor’s office, the biggest political prize in the county.

The wild card in all this speculation, of course, is how the national mood will affect the local election, if at all.

At this point, we wish all the best to candidates in this year’s primary and general elections. Being willing to put your name on a ballot for election is not an easy decision for anyone. Those who do deserve our gratitude. The Democratic process cannot work without them.

That said, we also call on all candidates to commit to a campaign that maintains a sense of fairness, honesty, decency and integrity. Some of the actions undertaken on behalf of candidates in recent years have lacked those ingredients and have poisoned the political climate.

A political campaign can be aggressive and vigorous without resorting to the kind of inaccurate, unfair and downright vicious attacks that have been launched in the closing days of recent elections via flyers and mailers sent to voters. That sort of activity trashes up an election and leaves voters with a poor perception of what otherwise is a great American process.

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