Editorial of October 9, 2025
Setting Some Expectations for this Election Season
and Beyond
It’s no secret we live in divisive, even dangerous, times. We at AllOtsego believe the answer is more discourse, not less.
As we approach the oft-overlooked but always impactful upcoming local elections on November 4, we are excited to bring you, over the coming weeks, some of our most comprehensive electoral coverage in years. Contrary to popular belief, it is these elections that have the most immediate impact on our communities. Ensuring water is safe to drink, fires are put out, parks are clean, housing is safe, roads are paved, and so much more, are all issues most directly addressed by the people elected to village, town, and county government. Yet these races are almost always decided by a small fraction of those who show up for presidential elections. We hope that by giving these races the attention they deserve, with whatever resources our small newsroom has, more of our fellow Otsego County residents will cast informed ballots for the candidates of their choice.
Already, we have sent out questionnaires to a number of candidates for local office, with more to come. As discussed in our September 11, 2025 editorial, “If the Media Is To Be Trusted, They Must Publish Responsibly,” we will neither add nor omit words from candidates’ responses to those questions. Constituents deserve to hear what candidates believe in their own words.
By that same token, candidates should know that in a democracy it is their obligation to speak publicly and transparently about their policy positions. If we do not receive responses, we will say so.
We will also report news stories on these elections, and have already covered some campaign events. We invite all local candidates, from all parties and political persuasions, to send us press advisories and releases with information about how we can do that. Are you hosting a rally? A fundraiser? Knocking on doors? Announcing a set of policies? Earned an endorsement? Speaking at some other kind of event? We want to know about it, ideally a few days or more ahead of time.
As we deem relevant, we may also pursue stories about trends in who is supporting whom, what issues have become salient, vetting candidates’ histories, controversies which arise, and other things we think you, faithful reader, may wish to know about for the purpose of making your decision. In all of this, our top priorities are to be fair and accurate, without fear or favor toward any candidate or party.
We similarly invite readers to submit letters to the editor expressing their support for different candidates. We will work hard to ensure balance, with the caveat that we can only publish the perspectives which we receive (and which do not contain false or unsubstantiated factual claims). If you feel there is a gap in expressed support for a candidate, well, be the change you wish to see in the world, and send one over!
This week, we kick things off with Q&A responses from candidates for the positions of City of Oneonta mayor and Town of Hartwick supervisor. Local elections impact each and every one of us. Your local paper is here to share information as you consider your options for representation on Election Day.
