Good manners go a long way.
When I first ran for the Legislature in 2016 against incumbent J. Paul Brown, I won by the narrowest of margins. He called me on election night to concede, with a kind congratulations. I invited him to breakfast to talk about issues wherever and whenever he wanted, and we shared a meal at Carver’s.
In 2018, I ran against Paul Jones, an unaffiliated candidate from Gunnison. Though it took him a couple of days to concede, as he went camping on election night, he also called me to say congratulations, and we also went out to breakfast to talk.
In 2020, I beat Marilyn Harris from Pagosa Springs, and in 2022, I beat Shelli Shaw from Durango. Neither one conceded the race, and neither one accepted my invitation to breakfast.
What changed in those years?
This election season, neither Clark Craig nor Paul Black called Katie Stewart or Matt Salka to concede. They thanked the voters on their Facebook pages, without mentioning either opponent’s name, and both used the pronouns “they.” Vivian Smotherman, who lost the Senate race to Cleave Simpson, conceded on election night, wishing him all the best during the next session. I long for the time of gracious losing and gracious winning.
Once the ballots are counted, candidates either win or lose. Refusing to acknowledge the work everyone does during a campaign is classless. Not conceding tells us a lot about the candidate.
Barbara McLachlan
Durango
