ICYMI: Politics Remains An Honorable Profession

“There is no doubt that the volume and nastiness of our political discourse has objectively gotten worse in recent years,” NewDEAL Leaders CEO Debbie Cox Bultan wrote in The Democracy Journal. But rather than reflexively condemn all politicians or, worse, disengage from politics, she calls on all of us to “put aside the cynicism, and celebrate and respect the women and men who step up to run for public office.”

Building on her article, Politics: An Honorable Profession, Bultan recently joined other civic-minded leaders from across the nation in a symposium to discuss how to support elected leaders, change public perception about politicians, and bring more young Americans into political office. Having spent her career working with politicians at the federal, state, and local levels, Bultan remains optimistic about the caliber of elected officials and a champion of the important role they play in our democracy.

Here are five key quotes from her article on why running for elected office has been — and remains — an honorable profession:

1. People run for office because they want to make a difference. “My favorite question to ask on our podcast [An Honorable Profession] is why someone ran for office the first time. The answer is almost always a variation on the theme that they wanted to make a difference. To right a wrong. To ensure someone else does not have to experience a struggle they overcame. To give back. Often it’s a deeply personal story that propels people into government service.”
2. Politicians are people, too. “Elected officials are the ‘by the people’ in the phrase ‘a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ The elected officials I know share our interests. They are musicians, athletes, parents, volunteers, and so much more. Former Florida State Senator Loranne Ausley competes in Ironman triathlons. Tim Keller, mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a heavy metal fan. Georgia’s former House Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is also a novelist, and Columbus, Ohio’s Zach Klein refereed Division I NCAA women’s basketball while on the city council. The elected officials I know, women and men, share the challenges of balancing work and family, often having to get by on very small salaries.”
3. Politicians take their job to represent us seriously, and representation matters. “Once elected, the people I talk with work hard to ensure they represent their constituents, understanding the responsibility that comes with the office. Take Will Haskell, who ran for office from his college dorm room and in 2019 became the youngest person ever elected to the Connecticut Senate. Decades younger than most of his colleagues, Will was the only sitting senator who was a renter, and the only one to have experienced active shooter drills as a student. By having a seat at the table, Will helped give voice to the experiences of thousands of other young people across his state during important policy debates and discussions.”
4. Politicians get good stuff done. “I love talking to guests on our podcast about their proudest accomplishments, which collectively impact millions of people across the country. Nevada Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui was at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival near Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire in what became the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, with 60 people killed. As a survivor, the assemblywoman has become an advocate of commonsense gun-safety legislation in her state, championing bills to prohibit firearms at polling locations, strengthen ‘ghost gun’ laws, and raise the age for the purchase and possession of assault weapons.”
5. It is not easy to be an elected official. “Signing up to run for office means that you are in the public spotlight, with very little privacy. In many cases, salaries are low or even nonexistent. People have an opinion about what you are doing wrong and are not afraid to share it. And in making decisions or casting votes, you inevitably make some people mad. All of this has long been true, and elected officials don’t complain.”

Read the full article in The Democracy Journal.