On election night, the town of South Bristol, the smallest and one of the most rural towns in Ontario County, delivered a result few saw coming — even us. Our town that has not had a Democratic town supervisor in 56 years elected not only a Democratic town supervisor, but also voted-in two Democratic town council members by double-digit margins.
The election followed the retirement of longtime Supervisor Dan Marshall, a Republican who served the community well for 24 years. Two of four council members also chose not to run for re-election, Jim Strickland and Scott Wohlschlegel, who served for 10 and 12 years, respectively).
The three of us ran for office because we love our small town, had enjoyed serving in various roles that allowed us to advocate for our community, and felt we had something to offer the residents of South Bristol if given the chance. We began as part of a community group called Citizens for South Bristol, which included members from across party lines and — just as importantly — across the geographic span of our town: from the hills to the hollows to the lake.
None of us had run for office before, so it seemed natural to us to find out what the residents of South Bristol wanted simply by asking them. Now we aren’t here to tell you that asking a voter what they want is the most innovative strategy in electoral politics. But having community get-togethers in every neighborhood, all across town, where we asked serious questions, and had in-depth conversations as a group, became the hallmark of our effort. What people liked most was that every meeting started with us asking them what they thought was most important, rather than us telling them what we would do to “fix” a town they already loved.
Over the course of these meetings we discovered that South Bristol wanted us to focus on four clear priorities: safeguarding Canandaigua Lake and its watershed, securing state resources and grants for infrastructure, expanding Wi-Fi and cell service, and improving town beautification and community spaces. As important as all of these issues were, however, our real takeaway was not the fact that we had discovered a set of issues that excited our community. It was that our community became excited because they were involved in a broader conversation about our town.
Every day we are inundated with news about how divided we have become as a country, as though we are already sorted into opposed armed camps whose barriers can only be penetrated with attack ads and negative campaigning.
We offer another narrative.
Our success came from showing up and listening. We met with more than 200 residents from every corner of South Bristol. People aren’t asking for partisanship, they are asking for problem-solving, for caring, and to be included in the process of solving those problems.
Everywhere we went, people wanted to talk about the future. Protecting our lake. Bringing investment into our rural community. Making sure our kids can live, work, and stay here. And with that came a groundswell of grassroots support. Because we weren’t just building a campaign — we were building community. Now, more than ever, people crave a sense of connection and shared purpose. Reminders of who we are as a people.
So our message to the political strategists out there, and to any would-be politicians, is this: Communities thrive when you bring people together, not tear them apart. Listening isn’t a strategy; it’s a value. When politics starts with people and place, everything else follows.
Ultimately, we all have to come back to the table and set about doing the actual work we were elected to do. If more public figures would take the time to learn from the people they wish to represent, we would all win.