Let the people decide on Rauschenberger

I am disgusted by the depths to which our democratic process is being supplanted by meddling schemes which deny the people the right to choose their elected officials. The recent decision that Steve Rauschenberger is not qualified as a Republican because he pulled a Democratic ticket to vote for his sister in a primary election shocks me.

I seem to recall many local candidates in the last election cycle with past associations with the Republican Party who ran for Democratic offices. John Noverini, Jeanette Mihalec, Penny Wegman, Deborah Allen and Stan Hickrod are just a few. I wonder how they voted in the previous primary. Did Republicans troll the voting rolls to challenge their candidacies using a technicality to deny the people a right to choose? No. To my knowledge, none of these candidates were so perniciously pursued.

A law written to keep the parties from improperly and unethically proffering candidates to thwart the democratic process is a good thing, but in this case the official who wielded it chose unwisely. I can only hope the Election Board sees the partisan plot evident in this mischief and sets things right.

I am disturbed that Sen. Noland has not denounced this insidious activity as undemocratic, since he is well aware of Rauschenberger's political affiliation. Or perhaps when it is convenient for his purposes, the senator's principles take a back seat to his ambitions. That is also for the people to decide.

Julie Schmidt

Elgin