To the editor,

Adrian Township voters: It’s not often that you get a concession speech at the lowest level of government, but I wanted to show my appreciation for those voters who supported me at the polls. My apologies for the delay, but we’ve had a death in the family which takes priority over politics.

Although we came up short, my constituents at the township and I are pleased with the results for a first-time, independent run: 58 percent of you split your ticket and, of those, 46 percent gave me one of your four votes.

So, to the 947 voters who voted their conscience for the vision of non-partisan politics, I sincerely thank you!

My condolences go out to the other five independent candidates throughout the county who came up short as well. So where did we go wrong?

It’s no surprise that we are a heavily Republican township and county, as most rural areas are, and that an independent run is an uphill battle. Name recognition is also a challenge, but I didn’t want to go door-to-door out of respect for your privacy. The simple math suggests that not enough people really care about township-level politics; too much focus on the presidential race, traditional parties or apathy altogether. This is further evident by the 30 percent who stayed home, and the 54 percent who split their ticket in the higher offices, but not the local ones. If each of the 2,059 voters who split their ticket would’ve truly considered themselves independent, and desired bi-partisan cooperation, they would’ve given me one of their four votes, and we would’ve made history.

Or, if the 564 straight-ticket Democrats would’ve given me their vote, we might not have a Republican-controlled board. By and large the biggest hurdle is getting enough staunch Republicans to see the value of someone else’s opinion outside their own party. No party is perfect.

So how do we do better next time? Keep the conversation going; talk it up with your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Be more interested in local governmental decisions that affect townships, cities and the county.

I’m interested in your opinion and feedback as well. Please visit my website to see the full stats and let me know how we can move forward for a more involved and better informed community … because everybody’s voice is important, not just the majority’s.

Bryan Winder, Adrian Township candidate