This is the first primary election cycle where I’ve really paid attention to local politics. I’ve voted in every election since I turned 18 (my parents raised me to understand the importance of “just showing up”), but I’ll admit I never had a firm grasp on which elected officials actually handled which powers. As I started to really look into things this year, I wasn’t prepared for just how loud it would get. It started with the mailers and the text messages: “This person hates the Lord and loves the devil,” “this person wants to release all criminals,” “this person is in league with the most evil people in Texas.” The hyperbole was endless.
I decided it’d be “fun” to keep all the political ads I’d gotten in the mail to tally them up after the dust had settled. Right before the big day, I had gotten 100+ mailers sent to my home. To be clear: all of these flyers were sent to my home – I’m sure all my neighbors had similar boat loads. But the sheer volume wasn’t the most frustrating part. It’s the content. The majority of the flyers, which each cost thousands of dollars to print and mail, were designed to tear someone else down rather than attempt to lift our community up. Instead of a conversation about where we’re going, my mailbox became a competition to see who could scream the loudest. It’s reached a point of absurdity, really. See the photos below for some of the “greatest hits” of this election cycle.
The Irony of Internal Conflict in a One-Party County
Living in Montgomery County, one of the reddest counties in the state, I had this idea that the local GOP would be relatively aligned. After all, the November general election here is often just a formality; everyone knows the primary is where the real decisions are made. I figured if we’ve already “won”, we’d be focused on the work. Instead, I found a level of infighting that felt more like a civil war than a primary. It made me wonder why, in a county where we agree on so much, we are spending so much energy tearing each other apart. It’s a strange irony: in a county where we’ve essentially already “won the war”, we’ve decided to spend our time fighting each other over actually improving things locally.
Beyond the Voter Guide: Moving from Passive Voting to Personal Research
To back up a bit… Along with my decision to get more knowledgeable, I made a rule for myself this election cycle: no voter guides. In the past, I’ve done what most people do. I grabbed a printed flyer from a “trusted source,” walked into the booth, and that was that. It made it easy. The problem was that I realized I had no clue who I was actually voting for or what they stood for. That felt like an easy thing to do, and lazy. What if I was voting for someone whose values didn’t actually align with mine?
As a Gen-Z voter, my priorities don’t always match the “old guard” beliefs that have dominated local politics for decades. I’d soon learn there was far more to disagree on than I ever realized. So, I decided I needed to step out of my comfort zone. I decided to be the “weirdo” who actually attends local political forums and debates. Yikes, I’m not excited.
Firsthand Conversations: What I Learned from Meeting Candidates Face-to-Face
I ended up attending several events and forums hosted by different political clubs across the county, and to my delight, they were welcoming and informative. Honestly, I’d never even known most of these events existed before this year. Getting to see the process up close allowed me to speak to multiple candidates face-to-face, voter to politician. The event I enjoyed most was the Candidate Forum and Meet & Greet put on by the Woodforest Area Republicans and the Magnolia Republican Club. It really made me appreciate the literal “boots on the ground” work these organizations do to give people like me a chance to actually hear from the candidates.
The experience of actually meeting these people was a far cry from the caricatures I saw in my mailbox. I spoke with Kristen Plaisance, who was running for State Representative. She spoke clearly about her ideas for limiting government overreach and protecting our local communities, not in slogans but in real terms. I had a great chat with Cecil Bell Jr., whose deep knowledge of the Texas Legislature was obvious. He talked specifically about his aspirations to remove personal property taxes in the next session, a topic that actually affects our wallets.
I got time with two men running for County Judge, Mark Keough and Wayne Mack. Both were able to step away from the campaign heat and simply talk about their vision for the future of Montgomery County. Finally, I spoke with Steve Toth about his ideas for solving some of the massive problems coming out of Washington.
The biggest takeaway for me? Every single one of them seemed genuine. We had great, respectful conversations. It made the whole malicious side of the party feel even weirder. If these people can be this reasonable and insightful in person, why is the public-facing side of the race so toxic?
The Disconnect Between Personal Character and Campaign Rhetoric
It’s all too tiring, really. The mailers, the name-calling, and the calculated confusion. If someone like me—who is actively trying to understand it all by attending events, researching online, and confirming facts—can barely keep it straight, how is the average voter supposed to stand a chance?
The way I see it, there is a systemic problem in our local politics. There shouldn’t be this much viciousness among people who are technically on the same “team.” Somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the decorum that is so desperately needed in a primary cycle. Of course, the truth needs to get out, and we know that political spin is part of the game, but the level of contempt we’ve seen this year is too far and too frustrating. We should all expect candidates to understand that you can disagree on policy without resorting to character assassination.
But here’s the uncomfortable question: does the nastiness actually work? Maybe that’s the real problem. As long as a candidate has the resources and the grassroots support to out-maneuver their opponent, it seems like the truth is often treated as an afterthought. It felt like “truth be damned” more than a few times this cycle. When you see a race decided by a razor-thin margin, you have to wonder if the winning edge was a policy platform or just the last, loudest attack ad.
But I digress.
Reflecting on the Results and the Future of our Local Political Culture
It’s the day after the election, March 4th. My mailbox will finally have some extra room for the usual junk mail. Hooray. The yard signs are being taken down. And the candidates are either celebrating their wins or processing their results. The dust is settling in Montgomery County, and, for me, the feeling is bittersweet.
On one hand, this election cycle proved to me that local voters have incredible power. We saw seats change hands and races decided by slim, slim margins (some by just a few hundred votes!). It’s a reminder that in our corner of Texas, the primary election is the headlining event. I met great people on both sides of these races who seemed truly driven by a genuine desire to serve their community. And, regardless of who won yesterday, knowing that those kinds of people are stepping up gives me some real hope for our local leadership.
On the other hand, it’s hard to ignore that while the people I met were respectful, the political environment as a whole remains incredibly harsh. This level of animosity, often fueled by outside groups and annoying PACs rather than the candidates themselves, is still a viable and oftentimes successful campaign strategy. I truly hope in the long term, we can find a way to shift the culture of our local elections back to a place where a candidate’s record and vision are the biggest factors in the race, not who can shout the loudest.
As for me, I’m optimistic about the future of our community. I’m determined to keep paying attention and holding our politicians accountable to their constituency. I’m going to stay the “weirdo” who attends the local forums, talks to the candidates directly, and ensures I have the best information going into the voter booth. I’ll keep encouraging friends and family to do the same, looking past the inevitable propaganda, and researching the candidates for themselves. Because if we don’t, we’re letting the noise decide our future for us.
But for now? I’m going to enjoy a quiet mailbox and a drive to work without the dozens of large, roadside signs screaming at me. Thank God it’s over…at least until the runoffs start in May.
