Carson City Primary Election Demographics (opinion)
For over four decades I have formally observed hundreds of successful (and unsuccessful) candidacies expressing hopes, ideas, and plans for the voting-market to evaluate as possible policies and governance. All candidates —especially at this time and place — are to be complimented for having the chutzpah required for this endeavor. Running for office is too often an unpleasant challenge. Period.
Public congratulations are now most fitting to both Mayor-elect Lori Bagwell and to Ward IV Supervisor-elect Lisa Schuette. Most reasonable people wish them good luck and success. For when they succeed the community knows it. The other side of that coin, when they fail, we feel it.
To assist them in their tenure (read: to help checkmate any possible notions of mandates as well as the never-ending temptation"my ideas are the best," the ensuing election demographic context is provided to enhance accountability in our community.
Mayor-elect Bagwell's 6,741 votes are approximately 20% of Carson City's universe of active registered voters and approximately 12% of Carson City's population. While Ward IV Supervisor-elect Schuette's 8,444 votes are approximately 25% of Carson City's universe of active voters and approximately 15% of Carson City's population.
Further quantitative analysis could provide the ratio of female v. male voting as would the following five age-chorts: Did the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers again, strongly dominate the primary balloting over Generation Xers, Millennials and the Gen Z or the iGen?
The ultimate standing issue raised by considering quantitative election data should be for those who govern – who is being served? Is it the community? Is it the most organized group/groups within the community? Is it the governing-class itself?
Are those formally registered and engaged in the civic action of voting, expressing their confidence that ultimately governance matters? And, are those not engaged in the civic action of voting, expressing governance, does not matter?
Winning a campaign is relatively easy. Representative governing is especially hard.