BY JAMES WERNICKE
Los Alamos
Until November 4, Los Alamos voters can elect representatives to the Los Alamos Public Schools Board of Education (Districts 1 and 2) and the UNM-Los Alamos Advisory Board. Official election information can be found at https://www.losalamosnm.us/Home/Tabs/Whats-Happening/Election-Information.
When national institutions falter, our country endures because local institutions still deliver. They keep society functioning and foster civic virtue and collective trust. If we allow polarization to dominate our local elections, we risk losing reasoned discourse, shared purpose, and civic responsibility completely.
Lately, I’ve seen the local discourse devolve into partisan commentary and negative endorsements. One recent letter to the editor bluntly declared, “We know who to steer clear of” — turning what should be a thoughtful civic exercise into a culture-war clash.
Schools are more than just classrooms. They are the foundations of our future workforce, anchor our community, and provide shared resources. As one candidate rightly said, “Whether you have children in the system or not, the quality of our public schools touches every part of our community.”
School and advisory boards make critical decisions about budgets, curricula, staffing, and equity. These topics deserve reasoned deliberation, but they are also vulnerable to being consumed by polarization. We’ve already seen how division weakens trust, cooperation, and progress at the national level. We must set a higher standard of civic engagement at the local level—where government still functions.
Consider endorsements, but also read the candidate statements. Attend or review forums and ask candidates why they want to serve, not just who supports them. Raise issues that matter like budget management, staff retention, curriculum alignment, student wellbeing, transparency, and equity. Demand answers that go beyond slogans.
Engage across lines. Talk with friends, neighbors, and colleagues who may vote differently. Focus on shared values like quality education, safe schools, fiscal responsibility, and community trust. Leave name-calling and ideology at the door.
Be informed when you vote on or before November 4—because it matters. As one candidate put it, “Strong schools don’t just happen; they are built through strong leadership, thoughtful planning, and community involvement.”
Finally, support civility and local institution-building. If an endorsement reads like a political hatchet job, don’t share it. If a candidate frames service as “us vs. them,” ask how they plan to serve all of us. Encourage language of service, not division.
Our national government may be in crisis. Our state will face its challenges. But here in Los Alamos, we can show that a community grounded in accountability and mutual respect governs best.
You get the democracy you deserve.