Write a new simple attractive title based on the title from Editorial: Republican Party gaining strength, but still lacking candidates for many races and dont use quote marks

For decades, the Rio Grande Valley has been known as a Democratic Party stronghold. The party’s dominance has been so great that few Republicans have even sought elected office. Essentially, that lack of candidates made the Democratic Party primaries de facto general elections in most local races, since the winner in those spring races faced no opposition from Republican — or any other party — candidates.

Fortunately, Republicans have gained strength in recent years, and Valley voters are beginning to have real options in many races.

However, candidates are still lacking in many local races. For both parties, many positions drew only one candidate, guaranteeing that person’s election.

In Cameron County, nine races in the Democratic Party primary had one candidate. On the Republican Party ballot, 20 candidates ran unopposed. Hidalgo County primaries had 33 Democrats and 17 Republicans running unopposed.

Moreover, 11 Democratic Party primary winners in Cameron County and 23 in Hidalgo County will face no Republican challengers in the November general election. In a few races, especially in county courts, candidates ran unopposed in the primary and will face no one in November. In those cases, simply filing for the position was enough to get it.

That fact is unfortunate, since local officials often have the greatest direct effect on residents’ lives. Local officials set most ordinances under which we live, from traffic laws to zoning ordinances. They set tax rates that determine how much of the money we earn we actually get to keep. They decide how to use that money, including how well they build and maintain roads, drainage systems and other infrastructure that has an impact in this flood-prone area. They set policies and enter into contracts that attract or deter new business, which largely determines local job opportunities and other factors that, we hope, supports economic growth.

And while elected commissioners and board members enact those laws, ordinances and policies, elected judges, from justices of the peace to courts at law, state district courts and up to courts of appeal and supreme courts, apply those laws and ordinances to people who are brought before them.

We don’t mean to imply that any specific candidate doesn’t deserve to hold office. But a lack of competition in our political races makes it easer for one bad person to get elected and make bad decisions — or use the position, and access to taxpayers’ money, to enrich themselves rather than serve their constituents properly.

The ability to choose the people who make those fundamental decisions in our lives is a luxury that many people across the globe don’t have. We should show our appreciation by participating in the election process, and more people who are qualified to seek elected office should consider doing so.

Democracy works best when people have choices and can select the person they deem most honest and qualified to hold positions of public trust. Competing parties also help keep each other accountable.

We hope to see continued movement toward parity between the major political parties in the Rio Grande Valley.