As we interviewed candidate after candidate for our elections coverage and endorsements issue, R.E.M. played in our heads (or at least in heads of us over a certain age or into ’90s bands):
“It’s the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine.”
Despite those dire feelings, Lane County and Oregon is awash with people who care about democracy and want to see the world — and this community — become a better place.
Our editorial board interviews people, watches debates, reads stances and evaluates, sees where the campaign money is coming from, discusses and thinks again.
In the May primary, Eugene Weekly endorses in nonpartisan races (such as city councils and the Lane County Commission, where someone might be a Democrat or a Republican, but the seat is not elected via a political party) and the Democratic primary.
Oregon has closed primaries in partisan races, so only Dems can vote for Dems in those races in May and the GOP can only vote for the GOP. Even though we know Republicans are among our avid readers, we’re pretty sure those folks don’t turn to us for our election endorsements — but hey, if we are wrong, let us know, the world gets weirder all the time!
Read on and let’s save democracy one vote at a time, while we still can. — Camilla Mortensen