I posted in February on the Walworth County Circuit court race between Family Court Commissioner Dan Johnson and District Attorney Dan Necci.
A month and a half later, there’s no change in the dynamic of the race: Johnson has widespread support from officials in the county, across party lines, and Necci is relying significantly on prominent out-of-county endorsements.
Since both Johnson and Necci are officeholders now, that’s an odd situation for Necci: after years in office, the clear majority of officeholders – including leading conservatives – support Johnson, not Necci.
The most typical sort of race would be one in which local officeholders split more evenly than has happened here. It would probably also be true that even if officeholders opposed a candidate, they would do do passively (by saying nothing or not endorsing) rather than actively (by writing and speaking in opposition).
In this race, judges, law enforcement leaders, court personnel, former members of the district attorney’s office, and many other local leaders have actively supported Johnson, and opposed Necci.
It’s hard to get over how odd that is. It suggests strongly that after working with both men, local officials have formed a clear preference, based not on partisanship, but on actual experience.
In a judicial race like this, typically far removed from statewide issues or controversies, one would expect that actual experience of the two candidates should be decisive.
Respect for that experience would impel one toward supporting Dan Johnson. Residents are about to find out, one way or another, how much that actual experience of the two candidates matters to Walworth County’s voters.
It’s been an odd race, in this way, soon to conclude, one hopes, with regard for that experience.