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This site is intended to help folks identify candidates who are not right-wing extremists, but instead moderates and progressives who are likely to vote the way we'd want them to on important issues. Especially at the Municipal level, it can take a lot of effort to figure out who actually would represent us AND has the best chance of winning AND isn't secretly a book burner. Not everyone has the time to make those determinations, so this guide aims to simplify that process. ''The friend I trust recommends...''
Recommendations are based on where and in what quantity we tend to see candidates' yard signs displayed, and with which yard signs each candidate's own signs tend to be grouped [It says a lot when, if there are two seemingly fine candidates for an office who look similar on paper, one candidate's yard signs are in places where there were once Trump signs. That's a bad sign]. -What does 12th Street seem to think? -What is the opposite of what Harri's says (not always, but usually)? This way, conclusions are mostly consensus-based.
Recommendations are also made based on review of candidates' campaign materials, performances at forums and debates (thank you, League of Women Voters) and also by talking to people who are or who have been on School Board, Assembly, or in the Legislature. When in doubt, the Juneau Pro-Choice Coalition's voter guide is usually a very good gauge of political leanings, though it is not a completely flawless indicator (No Response does not ALWAYS mean 'anti-choice'). Endorsements from local groups are also a factor, as is Courtview.
I wish it was more nuanced; that we always had a wide array of candidates we could pick from based on who's the best natural leader with good ideas in addition to having all the right political leanings and great hair, but usually it just boils down to deducing people's party affiliations in local elections that are technically non-partisan. When this guide premiered in 2018 that wasn't always so easy. Sadly, it's pretty simple now.
Kudos to anyone willing to put themselves out there to run for office. But, there are people who really should not be making decisions that affect others.
Not paid for by any candidate or candidate's group.
These are the observations and opinions of a private individual.