Nonpartisan Is Not Post-Partisan

Signatures are gathering for I-26, an initiative to make the King County Executive and Council “nonpartisan.” This is a change in labeling, not a change in substance, a silly exercise in semantics, and it’s not worth doing.

Instead of playing hat tricks with the party labels that provide the public with necessary information, the voters should take a look at Nebraska’s “nonpartisan” legislature, where, despite the absence of party labels, party candidates still exist, and coalitions still must be formed in order to govern.

Voters know what Democrats and Republicans stand for, it’s a helpful shorthand like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Prohibiting voters from having that information can only cause confusion and less informed voting. It may also increase the money spent on campaigns, as candidates are forced to define themselves as “progressive” or “conservative” without the familiar party labels.

In largely democratic King County, the lack of party identification will splinter the party ties that do exist - democrats will beat up on democrats, with negative effects up the ballot on those democrats, running for state or statewide office, who still believe in standing with their colleagues. What was a circle of friends facing outward will become a firing range facing inward. The Republicans should be delighted.