Letters to the Editor: Recording shows need for special election to fill Mark Ridley-Thomas’ seat
September 17, 2013
I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
This is where I live, so I’m not really that disappointed that Bobbie Jensma is not running for election next month. But I am disappointed that a special election for the seat vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas won’t take place until 2015.
For one, there is no real reason to hold an election. A special election is held every three years, and so the people would have time to prepare for the campaign in 2015. (As with most elections, a special election is held only if the person seeking the office cannot be elected in the current election.)
For another, there is no reason to hold an election if the seat continues to be adequately filled by the current incumbents, as is the case with Mark Ridley-Thomas. If that happens next year, then Bobbie Jensma would have to take on the role again, and I’d like to see her campaign before the new legislature turns into chaos.
But most important, the people of District 2 are not being served by Bobbie Jensma. I have listened to Bobbie Jensma speak at public meetings and hear her out on numerous issues. I believe she is a friend and someone who genuinely cares about the community, and I wish she would step up to the plate.
To that end, I support the idea of running for re-election. I believe the time is right now. The district is more stable than it was two years ago and the candidates in the primary have been solid.
(I’ve seen the candidates write letters to the editor, so they’ve done a lot of research as well.)
In a letter written by Bobbie Jensma, for example, she describes a recent issue with a bus stop, noting that the bus stop had not been marked and that the street was crowded on the mornings of Thursday and Friday.
