Local government offices in Minnesota are, with rare exceptions, non-partisan, but if you think the party alignment and ideology of those elected as a local city council member, mayor, or county commissioner doesn't matter, you're sorely mistaken. At least when the office is partisan you know what you're getting.
In last November's election democrats running for the state house lost in nearly every rural district and with it lost the majority in the house. In hindsight the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party now realizes that perhaps they should have listened more closely to those of us who were begging them to do more to support rural elections. While it is convenient to join the GOP chorus in calling the state DFL metro-centric, local party units need to recognize that they share the blame too, by not tending to the foundation that is local elections.
Local politicians set the tone for their community. They have to power to intimidate and threaten those who dare to contradict their beliefs. They can effect voter turn-out. They also have the advantage of government experience and recognition when running for higher offices, all of which is why it is in the interests of local party units to recruit and support democratic candidates for local office.
In my small, rural town we have a council dominated by "conservatives". It wasn't always the case. The council used to be balanced, but over the course of the 8 years I've lived here that has changed. It started with one council member, famous for his abuse of position and idiotic statements like "we're going broke saving money".
This council member had a dilapidated home at a prominent intersection much in need of repair. It was an eyesore, and the city notified him he was in violation of the city's home maintenance ordinances. He tried to get the case dismissed by the council, who wisely ignored him, and ended up with a fine and a court order to fix his house.
Bitter at having the law apply the same to him as others he started a movement to oust the city administrator and get rid of the city's "over-regulation". He rounded up other malcontents who had run afoul of building code and nuisance ordinances. He preached fiscal conservatism, advocating for the city to stop "wasting" money on the city pool, parks, and other quality of life amenities. Gathering a following of local Tea Party activists he ran for mayor in 2010 and won by a handful of votes.
What followed was an orgy of spending on the police and fire department (both headed up by his followers) at the expense of infrastructure and amenities. While potholes you could lose a car in grew on the city streets the police department got assault rifles, new personal gear, a new patrol truck and a new cruiser, all to replace perfectly good equipment with years of service life left. The climax of this spend-fest was $8000 spent to retrofit a military surplus Humvee that there was no conceivable need for in a town with a population of 2000.
Residents began to notice other changes, too, like one set of rules for the "in-crowd" and another set for everyone else. Complaints about police misconduct were (and continue to be) ignored and those who complained were retaliated against with overzealous enforcement of city ordinances. Those who were known to be "Obummer" supporters quickly learned that it was a waste of time to report a crime, because more often than not the police wouldn't even file a report. During the 2012 elections even death threats against marriage equality supporters were ignored.
Fast forward to 2014. DLF volunteers couldn't get people to put up yard signs for DFL candidates. People door-knocking would hear things like "I'm a democrat, but don't tell my neighbors, because they're all republicans". The abuses of power by the conservatives in local government had driven democrats into hiding. Voter turnout for democrats dropped nearly 40% in 2014 in a town where the DFL won every seat on the ballot in 2012 and defeated the marriage amendment.
Listening to others around the state talk about their communities it becomes clear that my town isn't unique. Perhaps the excesses are greater here, but the general tone that democrats best stay home if they know what is good for them is prevalent. Conservatives in local government are bullying democrats into silence.
We have got to get more democrats into local government. Progressivess in our communities need back the voice that they've lost. Our local party units need to make local elections as much of a priority as state and national ones.
Some may think because these are non-partisan offices that there is no place for a party unit, but that is not true. While candidates can't (and in most of these communities shouldn't) run as democrats or openly advertise the support of the DFL, they can take advantage of the DFL's campaign support infrastructure.
Local party units can help raise money for candidates. They can door knock and phone bank. They can do lit drops and stuff envelopes. They can provide voter lists and identify voters who support DFL principals. They can keep the candidate from having to run the race alone, which is so often the case.
2016 is going to be a challenging year for the DFL. At the state level we need to keep control in the senate and win back the house. At the federal level we need to take back the senate and win the White House. That will take a lot of work, but we need to do a little bit more. We need to start planting the seeds for 2018, which begins by taking back local government. We need to find and support democratic candidates for local government in 2016.