Early voters, fess up: How many Republicans did you have to vote for?

[jmowreader]

I voted for only one: Ben Wolfinger, our county's sheriff. He earned my vote for two reasons:

One, he's been a decent sheriff.

and

Two, this is the Democratic candidate:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Democratic candidate for sheriff in my county is a sovereign citizen who built her own working Gatling gun, has never worn a badge in her life, is squatting in her foreclosed home, and promises to not allow her deputies to enforce any law she doesn't like if we're stupid enough to elect her. She's more of a catastrophe than Donald Trump, and that takes work.

[teach1st]

1. I only voted for one Republican

Like you, my Republican is sheriff and is running unopposed for re-election. As far as I can tell, he's doing a good job.

I went straight Dem, other than that.

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Why couldn't you have written in another person or even Mickey Mouse?

You don't have to vote for a creep.

[teach1st]

11. Not all Republicans are creeps

He's doing a good job.

I've always felt that the best place for decent Republicans is in local offices. They don't do so well on the state and national scenes.

[The Wielding Truth]

12. Sorry. When I read your post I transposed the bottom paragraph to say (in my mind) that the woman

was the Republican. She certainly doesn't seem like a Democrat with her crazy views.

Why is she running as a Democrat and how did she get the support? I don't get it?

[jmowreader]

13. She's running as a Democrat to ensure she made the general election ballot

Ben Wolfinger's a Republican, and he has a LOT of support in this county. Any Republican who runs against him as a Republican is bound to lose, and lose badly (in the primary, Wolfinger won by 22 points). But if you run against him as a Democrat there's a good chance you'll make the general election ballot. FWIW, the county Democratic Party recommended not voting for her.

[The Wielding Truth]

15. Wow. Well I guess you did the best thing if Ben is half ways decent. It seems twisted though.

[Skittles]

27. OK

not a creep, but supports a party that is misogynist, homophobic, xenophobic, pro-torture, anti-worker, anti-science, etc

[teach1st]

32. I don't know what he supports in party politics

The man not perfect in his job, but overall he is running a good department. There are fewer complaints about racism and violence than many large police departments. He is active in supporting homeless causes. I believe he will do a better job than Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse or whomever I might write in.

I support Democrats even though some in the party might currently lean toward corporatism and be too cozy with the banks, and even though some are too militaristic, etc. Like many Democrats, I believe in cooperation, reaching across the aisle as it were, with reasonable people from the opposition. I don't apologize for supporting a reasonable Republican for a local office even though I don't support his party.

[Skittles]

33. sorry

I don't think a person can be reasonable and support the republican party as it is now

it is sickening

[teach1st]

35. I don't understand it either

Nevertheless, I know many decent people who are Republicans. Go figure. I voted for the person, not the party.

[Skittles]

36. if you say so

it's not like republicans recently became disgusting; they have been sickening for a long, LONG time

[Wounded Bear]

2. I believe there was one race with two Repubs on it...

we're an 'open voting, top two' primary state. At least it was a fairly minor position at county level, IIRC.

[iemitsu]

21. I voted for the lesser evil of two

republican candidates for State Treasurer for that same reason. No dem on the ballot.
My first inclination was to not vote for either then I decided that there are degrees of bad and I'd better try to get the less bad in office.

[Solly Mack]

3. None.

Clear lines. Clear choices.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. ZERO.

I have voted for some Republicans in past elections, though. There's been some nutty Democrats a few times.

[RandySF]

5. Zero

And living in CA, most of the races were Dem vs. Dem.

[Greybnk48]

7. Zero for me too!

I left the unopposed Repukes blank.

[jmowreader]

17. I did that everywhere I could

And really, if the Holy Terror wasn't on the ballot I would have left the sheriff race blank too. I did last time, and it worked out okay.

[relayerbob]

8. zero

In the cases where they were the only ones on the ballot (a lot in GA), I didn't vote

[Dawson Leery]

9. How did this happen???

A sovereign citizen Democrat???

[jmowreader]

14. I found a YouTube video where she claims to be neither Democrat nor Republican

In this county, somewhere between half and two-thirds of the races have no Democratic challenger. There aren't a hell of a lot of us here, and just about every Democrat that runs for office, gets stomped. (Right now there is one elected Democrat in the whole county - Dan English, who's held quite a few different offices and is now on the Coeur d'Alene City Council. REALLY nice guy.) So, she figured if she ran for office as a Democrat she'd appeal to the American Redoubt (the term for the right-wing Californians who ran to Idaho to await the end of the world) folks and get swept into office. Which is a nice theory with one tiny flaw: the center of mass of the Redoubt is not in this county.

[Skittles]

34. she's a nutcase

[rusty quoin]

10. Why is she a Democratic?

[jmowreader]

16. Because the guy everyone likes is a Republican

[rusty quoin]

22. That's some right wing you live under.

If a democratic shoots up shit and says nothing, it betters her chances.

[Rhythm]

18. There are ~none~ i'll vote for, and that includes the guy who's a long-time regular at the pub

He's running for county clerk.
Even if he had a million years' experience (which he doesn't), i could not care less...
I don't like him. Never have.

[bhikkhu]

19. None

Generally I don't vote for positions or people I don't know, but the last two elections it has been straight party line. That does leave many blanks in the ballot in my area, as many repugs run unopposed

[G_j]

20. never

[Demonaut]

23. absolutely none

[ecstatic]

24. For Public Service Commissioner, my only options were a republican or libertarian

I didn't do my homework on them and had to decide whether to leave it blank or not. I chose the libertarian.

[Awsi Dooger]

26. Maintained my lifetime tally of ZERO

I research carefully, including the justices and non-partisan races. No Republicans. This time I left the mayoral race blank because it was two Republicans facing off.

One good tip is to look for local voting guides from Unions, Democratic Party, Teachers Associations, Women's Groups, etc. Sometimes I'm not clear on ballot measures and which side is the liberal position, given all the mumbo jumbo wording.

[Skittles]

28. I will not vote for ANYONE affiliated with the republican party

no WAY

[Retrograde]

29. Local office here don't typically list party

and both the candidates to replace Barbara Boxer as senator are Democratic women.

[ffr]

31. That's an easy one. All those who earned my vote: Goose Egg.

[KentuckyWoman]

37. I take issue with "have to".

I voted one Republican.... County Recorder. It was a choice, not a requirement. Normally I would skip the vote for an office with no palatable Democrat, but this had a rather awful human being running 3rd party against and stirring up a little support. I was taking no chances.

But it was a choice I made. I didn't have to cast that vote. Not a good option available really, but option all the same.

[LeftyMom]

38. None.

The Dem in my congressional district is corrupt and I'd be delighted to see him primaried, but the R running against him makes the top of their ticket look moderate and restrained, so that wasn't even a hard choice.

[safeinOhio]

39. My father would be 104 if still alive

and one of the greatest men I have ever known, war hero and professor emeritus, born in the deep South, use to say "I'm a Democrat and have been all of my life, I vote for em or against em". Not sure if he ever did the latter.

[tirebiter]

40. What's not to like?

Hey, no bashing Democrats

[pfitz59]

41. WA State has 2 Republicans running against each other for Treasurer....

Weird 1-2 primary outcome. Some races have Dem vs Dem.....

[Sunsky]

42. Zero

Even the judges I said no to

[Victor_c3]

43. I consciously voted for a republican 4 years ago

I went democrat across the board with the exception of my state assemblyman. He was one of the republicans that voted for the acceptance of gay marriage in New York in 2012 and, in his justification for his vote, he won me over with his words. He stood up against the wishes of his party and did what was right in accordance to his values of respecting all people.

If it wouldn't have been for him and another republican who voted opposite of his party's wishes New York would not have legalized gay marriage when it did.

I wouldn't even think about voting republican otherwise, but he earned my vote. Unfortunately he lost in a three-way election against a democrat and another republican.

This election I might vote for another republican. He is another local politician and I have worked with him on a couple of occasions on local town projects. Currently we are trying to update a very antiquated playground at my children's elementary school and he has been instrumental in securing a $100,000 grant to do that. After working with him and having seen him work for my community it will be hard for me to vote against him.

I know I won't be popular on this forum for saying this, but not all republicans are the same. Some are decent people with a consciences who are trying to do the best for their communities. These are the sorts that can reach across the isle and work with their opposition to accomplish stuff in government. Politicians like this need to be rewarded with our votes or we are going to get more hardliners on both sides who will never be willing to negotiate and improve our nation.

[blogslut]

44. I used to vote for one but no more.

I now vote straight Democratic ticket. Sadly, I live in an area where most of the State/Federal GOP candidates run unopposed.