“Shedding Some Light” is a regular feature on the Opinions Page that will consist of our spin on local, state and national issues.
More should throw their provebial hat into the ring
This year’s race for the Senate District 15A Republican endorsement was an interesting one — not because of topics raised at the far-too-long-and-drawn-out candidates’ forum in Wabasso a few weeks ago, but because of the candidates themselves.
Talk about a diverse group. First, one of the candidates was a woman, and you don’t see too many of the fairer sex throwing their hat into the ring all too often. Second, the men in the room — Braxton Seifert and Brian Mock, who besides being GOPers, couldn’t be more different, not personalitywise anyway.
Here we have Seifert (who won the party’s endorsement last weekend), the son of a well-respected former House member and gubernatorial candidate. This apple certainly did not fall far from the tree.
Then we have Brian Mock, a man you might never have heard of unless you know anything about the so-called insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that resulted in more than 1,400 people being charged with federal crimes and more than 1,000 sentenced — 64% to jail time. Mock was one of them, and he was subsequently pardoned by President Trump.
Mock doesn’t hide from his jailing and pardoning, but criticized his fellow candidate, Tiffany Knott-Lesmeister, for not touting about it like he did at the forum.
Political party aside, we think having this broad range of personalities running for office is a good thing. Truth be known, Neither Knott-Lesmeister nor Mock stood a chance against Seifert, not because they couldn’t do the job, but because going up against a Seifert in these parts is like trying to hit a Joe Ryan fastball. Not easy.
Still, they ran. Mock, by his own public admission, didn’t even want to. But we need people like Mock to put their foot in the public servant door. Winning against a household name might’ve been a longshot, but at least it shows that there are people out there who want to inspire change.
And this country — and state — are due for some changes.
