There will be plenty of politicking between now and the election in November with numerous contested races locally, races to decide who represents our state in Congress and of course the race for president.

More than 20 candidates have qualified to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. David Vitter. More than 10 candidates have qualified to run for Congress for the Third Congressional District that includes our area.

There are contested mayoral races in New Iberia and Loreauville, an Iberia Parish School board seat to be decided, at least five contested races for seats on the New Iberia City Council, a seat on the Public Service Commission to represent this area and others.

People gripe all the time about elected officials or various governmental bodies, complaining that their elected representatives are out of touch or how some governmental body doesn’t have the right priorities for what the community really needs.

With the several contested races locally, the important races for U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate and for president, voters have a chance to affect who represents us and how for the next several years, and to affect what sort of service we get from the government bodies these people will represent over that same time.

Will the right people get elected and will their election help make a real difference? Much of that depends on what voters do between now and Election Day.

Will voters spend time talking to candidates competing for an office, asking them real questions about the issues? Will voters get involved for the candidates they favor, make a contribution to their campaign, put up a sign in their yard, make calls on their behalf or otherwise do something or some things to help them get elected?

Will voters differentiate between candidates for a contested seat based on their real qualifications, their education, their work and life experience, their ideas for what they’ll do if elected, or will they vote for them because they’re young or mature, because they’d prefer a man to represent them or maybe a woman, or for some other superficial reason?

If you’ve got gripes about how things are being done, or if you really think one candidate is better qualified and more likely to do good than another, or if you don’t really know much about the candidates for an office, you’ve got — we’ve got — three months to get educated and get involved in this fall’s election.

We’re supposed to get that government “of the people,” but it seems a lot of the people don’t pay much attention to elections. A more informed, educated, involved electorate is the most likely way we’ll end up with better government.

Will you be part of the effort to make things better?

Here’s a chance to start doing just that on a local, state or national level.

WILL CHAPMAN

PUBLISHER