A Unique Election Year Brings Out More Independent Thinking

image
Published: 23 May, 2012
3 min read

Candidates are stepping up across the country to fill a void for voters – the void is where the Republican and Democratic parties have become so overwhelmingly ‘controlled’ by people who refuse to have dialogue and conversation with the people who make up their parties. Ask most people, and they will agree – they are looking for “down-to-earth” individuals who want to be public servants and represent others versus politicians, who are looking to fulfill their own agendas.

There are several networks that have done a great job of highlighting these candidates in local, state, and federal elections. Our campaign team has been cataloging all of them so that we can continue to build the network and database of leaders who are stepping up to fulfill the void of trustworthy representatives. It doesn’t matter what affiliation these candidates have – it is about their message and whether or not they know the difference between right and wrong.

In Colorado, I have been very lucky to meet several candidates for state and local races who are working hard to shake hands and listen to the people they wish to represent. Several of these people are running for county commissioner seats – including Johnie Rosenfeld and Shayne Mitchell in Eagle County, as well as John Kincaid and Rick Barnes in Moffat County

Johnie Rosenfeld, believes he has a “unique combination of experience” – being involved in both business and the community, to “get Eagle County growing.” He said the biggest issue for the county was the economy and the spending priorities of government (sound familiar?).

Shayne Mitchell recounted how he was inspired by his daughter and the 2008 election. His daughter, although too young to officially vote at the time, was interested in Ron Paul and Paul's liberty-oriented platform. After some conversation and asking her dad to check it out, Mitchell became more interested in the platform and in being a voice for constitutional government.

Rick Barnes, decided he wanted to run for county commissioner (district 2) in Moffat County after he felt a “lack of being heard at both the local and federal level of government.” He went on to explain how he wanted to discuss an issue with his elected officials, but if you didn’t agree with their take on them, they “tuned you out.” He also emphasized that he “doesn’t like how local governments are being strong-armed by the federal government.”

John Kinkaid, independent candidate for county commissioner (district 1) in Moffat County said that he is running “for his son Caleb, and for all of the other ‘Calebs’ in Moffat County.” He speaks to the over-regulation in coal mining, power plants, oil, and gas production – his son who is a coal miner is directly affected by these regulations. Kincaid said he is “fighting for their jobs and the local economy.”

Will Furse is running for district attorney in Montezuma County – I had the chance to meet him last year at a Constitution Class in Cortez, Colorado. He is an attorney with a sincere interest in the matters of law and how that law is affecting citizens in his county.

And this is just a handful of the people in the third district, which is just a drop in the bucket of people in the State and the country. We are doing this – and we are becoming the media so that we can actually have reports on the amazing races and movement taking place.

Photo Credit: goldyg / shutterstock.com

IVP Donate

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read