Opinion

Each Monday, Tommy Tomlinson delivers thoughtful commentary on an important topic in the news. Through these perspectives, he seeks to find common ground that leads to deeper understanding of complex issues and that helps people relate to what others are feeling, even if they don’t agree.

One Last Job For Voters Before The 9th District's Checkered Flag

WFAE | By Tommy Tomlinson

Published September 2, 2019 at 4:00 AM EDT

The race for North Carolina’s 9^th House district has been like a NASCAR race from the old days – multiple wrecks, lots of caution flags, some country boys trying to pull a fast one.

But we have finally made it to the last few laps. As of this morning, Election Day is just eight days away, on Sept. 10. I guess there’s still a chance somebody could spin out at the end. But have faith -- a week and a day from now, we ought to have a winner.

That will be one of two Dans. Dan McCready, the Democrat who has been in the race since the beginning. Or Dan Bishop, the Republican who stepped in when Mark Harris’ campaign blew an engine in spectacular fashion back in February, after allegations of election fraud.

You’re listening to WFAE, so it’s already clear that you’re a smart and informed person. You’ve already decided which candidate you like. I don’t need to tell you that. What I want to tell you is this: Make sure you actually go out and vote.

Depending on where you are, you might get to make other choices on the 10^th – in Charlotte, for example, we have a primary election for City Council. But by and large, people don’t come out for special elections the way they do for regular elections.

And in this particular election, it’s understandable that there might be some fatigue. Voters already went to the polls once, last November, before those results got thrown out. It’s hard to sustain the energy now that people had on Election Day back then. By now I’ve seen and heard about all the campaign commercials I can take.

But I want to remind you why those campaign commercials are there, why Bishop and McCready are fighting so hard, why there was election fraud in the 9^th District in the first place. It’s a seat in a purplish district, meaning both Democrats and Republicans have a chance – a rarity in these gerrymandered times. It’s bound to be a close race. Every vote matters.

This is how politics differs from NASCAR. The fans are the drivers. If you live in the 9^th District, you know the whole country is watching. Vote early or vote on Election Day, but please vote. In a democracy, that’s how you hang in to the finish line.

And if you’re not in the 9^th District, as much as you might like to … don’t try to vote in the 9^th District. This race has had enough shenanigans already.

Tommy Tomlinson’s On My Mind column normally runs every Monday on WFAE and WFAE.org. It represents his opinion, not the opinion of WFAE. You can respond to this column in the comments section below. You can also email Tommy at ttomlinson@wfae.org.