Conway Daily Sun Editorial of March 7

THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Friday, March 7, 2014

 

EDITORIAL

Cyrans for Executive Councilor

 

There is an irony so glaring in the special election Tuesday to fill the seat left vacant by Executive Councilor Ray Burton, it convinced us to support Mike Cyrans over Joe Kenney.

 

Burton, the Republican executive councilor for 30 years who recently died of cancer, was known foremost for his non-partisan approach and legendary constituent service.

 

In a job that functions best when it is not driven by party affiliations, Kenney, a Republican from Wakefield, not only is not avoiding partisanship but promises to make it a priority.

 

The five-member executive council — the only one if its kind in the country — approves contracts and nominations, and generally oversees the business of the state.

 

It is not the place for overt partisanship in our opinion, and Kenney wears his on his sleeve, having said his role will be to act as a check to Gov. Maggie Hassan, and predicts if he is elected all the votes will be 3-2 (three Democrats, two Republicans).

 

Cryans, who lives in Hanover and is a native of Littleton, has the same tone, temperament and approach as Burton, and although a Democrat, has the support of Burton’s family.

 

In fact, many Republicans are behind Cryans, including former Republican congressman Bill Zeliff, who said in his endorsement that Cryans and Burton are “cut from the same cloth.”

 

Politics is politics and casts a heavy shadow over every election, including this one, which because of the big geographic size of the district is seen as a litmus test for a potential race between Sen. Jeanne Sheehan and Republican Scott Brown.

 

So to say politics isn’t playing a role would be naive, but this election is as close as it gets where party politics doesn’t matter.