SEQUIM COMMUNITY
STUDY GROUP
Connecting with the Sequim Community
We feel that an Independent candidate is independent in name only unless that candidate is willing to connect, listen, and carry forward the voice of the people he or she presumes to represent. Many observers of the political scene call such a candidate Populist. The Sequim Community Study Group is a citizen led action committee which seeks to establish such connections.
Issue Being Addressed
Voting trends in Eastern Clallam County are increasingly rejecting conservative and center-right candidates in state and local elections, whether they be for partisan or non-partisan offices
Background
Clallam County Washington is referred to as the bellwether county for the nation. Much of the reasoning for this designation lies in its perceived 50-50 split down the middle between traditional liberal and conservative voters. One might think that Independent candidates would thrive is such an environment. However, at the present time, the opposite seems to be the case. In the partisan rancor, Independents are attacked by both sides as being too conservative and not conservative enough at the same time. In numerous recent local and state elections, the Clallam County electorate has consistently voted against Republican and Independent candidates alike. A question worthy of investigation and analysis is, "Do these current voting patterns reflect a long term trend or are they a more transient reality?"
Action
The Sequim Study Community Group is a citizen led committee made of of ten to twelve citizens residing in the Sequim area of independent mindset, not having close ties to either political party. Its objective is to explore the nature of public political trends in the area. The agenda is rather open, in the form of brainstorming: no idea or suggestion is too outlandish to consider. Each hypothesis will be considered on its merits based on the members' experience interacting with other citizens of Sequim and its surrounding area.