We all know by now that America is a land of deep political division and heated red-on-blue, blue-on-red, red-on-red and blue-on-blue rancor.
Or so it appears.
What occurred when two Republican candidates in an obscure California race deadlocked — 3,882 votes to three,882 votes — tells us that there are nonetheless corners of the nation the place civility thrives. Civility and consuming straws.
The story takes place in Galt, a bed room neighborhood of about 26,000 folks south of Sacramento. It’s a small metropolis that many residents hope stays that method, a spot the place the expansion chased by a few of its neighbors has largely been rejected, a proposed on line casino met resistance and the most important native controversy revolves round whether or not a brand new gasoline station ought to come to city.
It’s additionally a spot the place three folks had been working for 2 slots on the five-person Metropolis Council. Tim Reed simply secured considered one of them with greater than 5,800 votes. However when Mathew Pratton and Bonnie Rodriguez tied for the opposite seat, town was in a little bit of a pickle.
Tied elections in America are nothing new. Over time, they’ve been settled by coin flips, drawing names out of a bowl and even a fast sport of poker. However in our Trumpian period of institutional and electoral mistrust, quirky tiebreakers appear to be a throwback to a time when “stop the steal” may need referred to a police crackdown on convenience-store crime.
Pratton, 62, is a longtime Galt resident who as soon as had bicycle outlets and a photograph studio on the town, and who spent 15 years teaching the native junior-varsity soccer group. Rodriguez, 52, is the previous writer of The Galt Herald, the city’s newspaper. After 20 years of attending civic conferences, she determined to strive her hand at making native selections as a substitute of masking them. They’re Republicans — though the seat is nonpartisan — and they’re pals.
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