Letters to the Editor

An election idea

Editor, the Journal,

In this election, as Journal reporter Gordon Weeks pointed out, Mason County voted solidly Republican, with all local partisan races being won by Republicans. However, the vote itself was not as one-sided as it might appear.

Historically, Mason County has been roughly divided, with 45% of voters identifying as Democrat and 55% as Republican. This means Republicans hold just over half of the votes, but under our current system, the majority - about 55% - also holds 100% of the representation. This is a classic example of majority rule, where the dominant group controls all the seats, while the minority receives none.

Currently, we are represented by three state legislators and three county commissioners, all of whom are elected at-large through a countywide vote. These are single-winner elections, even though they are for multiple seats within multimember bodies.

One alternative to this winner-takes-all system is proportional representation. This system ensures that while the majority still holds power, the minority also receives a fair share of representation. Adopting proportional representation would give more voters a voice, creating a fairer and more balanced system for our community.

Chris Mason, Matlock

More influence

Editor, the Journal,

Question: Which gives Mason County more influence in Congress - a minority Democrat not from Mason County or a majority Republican neighbor from Mason County? Neighbor Drew MacEwen ran for Congress. Drew knows Mason County issues. If local Democrats had given Drew 100% of votes he'd be going to Washington, D.C. Instead, Mason County voted party over neighbor; now we have Emily of the do-nothing party. Drew, please run again in 2026.

Except for the 10th and 35th Districts, Democrats were losers in the rest of the country. The 2024 Democrats haven't had this kind of national shellacking since the Reagan Revolt over 40 years ago. If I were a Democrat, instead of attacking Trump, I'd research why Democrats were so soundly rejected. Watching the Democratic soap opera is almost worth our congressional loss. Your candidates and policies were rejected by rank and file nationwide. Even always-faithful Democratic voters rejected them. I loved watching "The View" the morning after the election. It was hilarious.

I hope your governor appreciates who got him the office. Based on Democratic abortion commercials, the group most responsible for electing your Democratic governor are thousands of aborted babies. Republican legislators Dan Griffey, Travis Couture and MacEwen, please hold our abortion governor to task.

Ardean Anvik, Shelton