From beyond the grave, Susan B. Anthony might have cheered a little last night. Perhaps Frederick Douglass joined her. After generations of disenfranchisement, after eras where diversity was merely a nine-letter word, the candidates vying for office ' and in many cases, winning ' were not limited to middle-aged white men.
For the first time in Ohio history, a viable African-American candidate ran for governor ' and his defeat stems from his ideology more than his race.
Women ran for state attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor; in fact, both candidates running for state auditor were women, and one an African-American. Of those races, though only auditor and secretary of state will host a woman, all were decided by a narrow margin. Women also competed in six of Ohio's 18 Congressional office races, winning five of those races, including two where both candidates were female, and one where the candidate was an African-American woman.
Perhaps the best part is that race and gender did not seem to be crucial factors. That candidates were male or female did not get discussion time. Their ideologies and the issues trumped sex and race.
Unlike the media spectacle of Katie Couric's rise to power, the increased visibility of women and minorities on the ballot came quietly ' without much fanfare, without much pondering of how the influx would change the way politics are done.
While there is no doubt that much still remains to be done to make government more representative of the people it serves, this election demonstrates that progress is not just a possibility, but a reality.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the executive editors. Send your submissions to posteditorial@ohiou.edu.
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Diversity in midterm elections shows voters can look past sex, race to ideologies, platforms
