To The Editor:
I feel there was a missed opportunity to explain in my op-ed last week the understanding of what would happen in early 2019 (in an identical scenario of 2017) if the same legislative seat were vacated in early 2019.
For example, I am not running in the 2018 election, yet I did in 2016 (this we know), and let’s assume the same legislative seat is vacated in early 2019 by its seat holder, as it was in early 2017.
Then, imagine, in some strange world, I am selected by the governor to fill the empty legislative seat for the remainder of the 2018-2020 term, and then in 2020 I put myself up for re-election.
Doing such would give me a very unfair advantage to those running in the 2020 election cycle (as I would have been an unfairly appointed semi-incumbent) and also to those who ran in the 2018 cycle and were not selected to fill the vacant seat by virtue of the 2018 vote count. My supposed appointment would also not be representative of the most recent will of the 2018 voting populous.
My point is that it would be morally reprehensible to vote for me in 2020, as it should also be so for Ed Read this November, due to the way in which his assignment as temporary seat holder was politically motivated by the governor. It was not fair in the eyes of our electoral process.
To be clear, I appreciate Ed. I sought advice politically from him prior to my campaign in 2016. However, this does not change the current situation whereby though not legally prohibited from the election, in terms of righteousness in the eyes of justice and fairness, he should (in my opinion) have to wait until 2020 to run again.
Just my two cents.
What do we have without Lady Justice and her blindfold?
Jake Sallerson
Warren
