Our View: A no-show candidate doesn't deserve your vote

People who are elected to local elected councils and boards hold positions of public trust, which means that they are obligated at times to do things they might rather not do.

Among those things is answering to constituents – especially disgruntled ones – whether it's by email or phone, or face-to-face at a contentious public meeting or even in a chance encounter in a grocery-store aisle. Being available is a chief responsibility of the job, and one that we believe most of the elected officials across our region carry out faithfully.

That's what makes it particularly disappointing when, as the Post Bulletin's Brian Todd reported this week , three local candidates appear likely to simply opt out of participating in the League of Women Voters' public forums this month.

Wes Lund, who's running for the District 25B seat in the Legislature, already missed the Sept. 12 forum with his opponent, incumbent Rep. Andy Smith.

And two Rochester School Board candidates, Christina Barton and Patrick Farmer, have not responded to their invitations (and ignored most or all of any other communication sent their way), creating an expectation that there will be more empty chairs at their forums, scheduled for Sept. 25 and 26, respectively.

Lund, who finds time in his schedule to attend – and disrupt – many public meetings, said that he had a work conflict on Sept. 12. If you are tempted to leap to his defense, you should know that the proposed forum dates were sent to candidates several weeks in advance, and that, in the case of one other candidate forum, the date was rescheduled to accommodate one candidate's schedule conflict.

Rescheduling was not possible with Lund, though, who hung up the phone several times as the League scheduler repeatedly tried to reach him.

If freeing an hour to attend a public forum at the Rochester Public Library on a Thursday night is an insurmountable challenge, we wonder how it would be possible for Lund to be present to serve constituents over several long winter months in St. Paul.

Barton is running for school board after losing her job as a school counselor at Elton Hills Elementary School in Rochester. Earlier, she publicly raised concerns about the school district's transgender policies, stating her belief that those guidelines were crafted in secret and kept from the public . It would be ironic, then, if candidate Barton fails to show up for her public forum to share with the voting public her thoughts and goals as a potential school board member.

And Farmer? His participation in answering questions about his campaign so far has been to respond to a Post Bulletin questionnaire with nonsense answers like "tearing down schools" and creating "crossdressing rooms for crossdressers." Perhaps it would be better if he sits out his public speaking opportunity.

One reason we suppose is behind these candidates' decisions to skip the forums is that they have formed the misguided belief that the League of Women Voters, a century-old nonpartisan organization staffed by volunteers, is in fact tilted against them.

That might also be why Lund, Barton, Farmer and a few others have so far opted not to share answers in a recently published voters guide , compiled by the League and shared by newspapers including the Post Bulletin. (The Post Bulletin, along with the Rochester Public Library and Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, is also a co-sponsor of the public candidate forums.)

Maybe these candidates are keeping quiet because they feel their chances of winning are improved, the less voters know about them.

We feel the lack of participation is a show of disrespect to the hard-working volunteers of the League, but more importantly, it's a disservice to Rochester voters, who deserve a chance to learn more about the candidates asking for their votes.

Then again, maybe by their aloof behavior the candidates have already told voters all that they need to know.