Amendment 51: Pierce County voters should reject effort to make prosecutor nonpartisan

The proposed Pierce County Charter amendment that would make the County Prosecutor a nonpartisan office is nothing more than a solution searching for a problem.

This ballot measure is so unnecessary. The current charter was amended in 2008, allowing any individual with or without political party stripes to run for county prosecutor. And we already have a prosecutor who was elected last year, running as a nonpartisan with no party label.

For me, it boils down to a fundamental question: What are we trying to fix? There’s nothing to correct. No wrong to right.

There are those among supporters who say this proposed amendment is about good government. In my opinion, the opposite is true. I see the potential for unforeseen consequences that could adversely impact the voters of Pierce County.

This amendment could dilute the variety and quality of candidates running for Pierce County Prosecutor and erode the voters’ ability to evaluate those who seek this office.

I am steadfast in believing that politics has no place in a prosecutor carrying out the responsibilities of his or her office. The same is true to other elective administrative offices in Pierce County as well as all local governments.

However, the means of candidates running for office and getting elected is an inherently political process. That is fundamental to our democracy.

Since statehood, we have elected by and large our county leaders on a partisan basis, including the prosecutor. Over the years, Pierce County has had good office holders, mediocre office holders and a few unscrupulous ones. For the latter, the voters and, in some cases, the justice system have been effective separating the wheat from the corrupt chaff. As one who had the privilege of presiding over Pierce County elections, I can say that the system has worked well.

I contend that an election process without Republican or Democratic party involvement is a move that separates citizens a step further from their government. Party politics and partisanship at the local level provide useful benefits. When candidates identify themselves by political party, voters have another avenue to access information about the qualifications of office seekers. Citizens are better able to distinguish between candidates and assess values and principles that align with party platforms.

Granted, that benefit runs only so deep. Certainly, other information is available through the voter’s pamphlet and endorsements from media outlets and various organizations. But political participation makes significant contributions to the mix of voter education. The potential effect of diminished information is reduced voter participation.

I also believe party participation in local government politics enhances the quality of candidates stepping up to run for local offices, including prosecutor. Our local Democratic and Republican parties support candidates’ campaigns, generating greater public awareness and interest in elections. That support fuels interest in candidates to run. It also leads to what I describe as retail politics, knocking on doors, attending events and putting those candidates face-to-face with the very citizens they would serve.

I contend it’s important to our democratic process to keep party organizations vibrant and involved in our local elections. It leads to debate and a healthy exchange of ideas.

Without partisan offices to support and campaign at the local level, I fear a withering political process. Without a party apparatus, where do people get involved? When I look back at my four decades of public service at the state and local level, I got my start in county party politics. All the elected public servants that I’ve admired and respected were grounded in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

No provision of the Pierce County Charter currently denies any candidate from running under whatever label they choose. Proposed Charter Amendment No. 51 would eliminate the right of candidates to do just that. It would not only prohibit office seekers from running as Republicans or Democrats, it also would arguably deny them from advocating under any political label.

To an unwitting voter, this charter amendment may appear harmless and seem like a good thing to do. Some people may also say, “Who cares?”

I say we all should. The fate of our political system is at stake.

Brian Sonntag is a former Pierce County auditor and five-term state auditor.