Relevance is a big discussion in our country right now. With the midterms on the horizon (go vote on Tuesday!), candidates are fighting to focus voters on issues relevant to their campaigns. We see some candidates blowing issues out of proportion and creating urgency around non-issues because scare tactics support their campaigns.

The challenging thing about reaching an audience is that relevance is relative (profound statement, I know). You might have the best platform about immigration, but if a voter doesn’t have an opinion on immigration, your message is lost on him. This is why we see candidates identifying the hot button issue about which their audience cares and driving that point into the ground.

In Chicago we have J.B. Pritzker. Being an incredibly liberal city, Pritzker has run on a platform of equality, female empowerment, advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, women and children, and marginalized communities. While this sounds great, those of us who have done our research know his shady past and can see through the targeted relevance. The things we care about can be used against us to get us to the polls, and once the candidate is elected, he might run a completely different platform than what was presented during his campaign. We have seen this instance time and time again.

For this election and others, please do you research. Candidates will prey on issues that are relevant to you and your family. Take the time and effort to look into these peoples’ pasts. Have their previous actions supported their value statements? Where have they donated money? What do they align with historically? All of these questions are incredibly important before making a decision. Do your research, find a candidate that runs an honest campaign that is relevant to your concerns, and get out there and vote on Tuesday. Your voice and your vote matter.

-        Bria