“Down Ballot” Elections

Dear Editor,

Election season is upon us and I want to congratulate all the local candidates who are running for the “Down Ballot” elections. Whether you are running for Castro Valley School District, East Bay Regional Park District, AC Transit, Eden Health District, or EBMUD, you should all be applauded for stepping up to serve our community. You are my neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends, and serving for these offices is a huge commitment. Your dedication is appreciated.

All of these offices are not full-time positions, with little pay, and none of these candidates are doing this to personally enrich themselves. Please be kind and thoughtful with your comments and social media posts about each of them because in a few weeks, when this election is over, win or lose, they will still be part of our community.

Down ballot races do not receive the attention and coverage that the bigger races do, but these roles are critical for our local community. Unfortunately, the only even-handed analysis of these local races is the recent EBTimes endorsement and the upcoming Eden Area League of Women Voters virtual candidate forum (October 8 at 9:30am). I urge people to not forget about these races and to look into each of the candidates, these races and reach out to these candidates themselves if you have any questions.

I am proud that Castro Valley has so many qualified, dedicated neighbors who are working towards a better future.

–Peter Rosen, Castro Valley