EDITORIAL – Win or lose, candidates can take pride in having stepped up

Posted on October 16, 2026 in Editorials, Rothenburger // 0 Comments

Facing the crowd. (Image: Mel Rothenburger.)

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

THIS IS NERVOUS TIME for civic election candidates. The last day of the campaign.

They’ll be making their final phone calls, knocking on their last doors and wrapping up all the other things that go into a campaign. And then they’ll be pacing the floor and losing sleep.

Running for election is not easy, and it’s stressful. This year’s varied crop of candidates brought all kinds of different credentials and attitudes to the hustings. Some were terrible at the beginning. Some showed immediate potential.

Almost all of them got better at it as the campaign developed. Facing a crowd and thinking on your feet is a character builder. As they got more practice at speaking and writing, their answers became more lucid and assured. There priorities became much more clear to voters. And the public got to know them better, became acquainted with who they are and what they brought to the table.

While political campaigning is nerve-wracking, it’s also exciting. You get to meet all kinds of new people, some of whom will remain friends long after the election. You also learn a lot about the human condition and the good and bad things about how people act.

You learn how tough and nasty politics can be. If you win Saturday, you’ll find out how rewarding it can be, too. If you don’t cross the finish line, you can still look back with pride. You stepped up for your community, and tried to make a difference.

Maybe you’ll try again another time.

Thanks to those who run, and good luck.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, writes for the Kamloops Chronicle and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.