**Warning: not your typical party line ‘go vote’ post**

May the best candidate win - but it takes all of us to make that happen.

Do you live in a city or town in which a certain party winning elections is basically a foregone conclusion? 

If you’re a conservative in a hopelessly blue region…or if you’re a liberal seeing red… your vote still matters! 

Why? Even if you’re a conservative choosing between two liberals or vice versa, you can always vote for the more moderate candidate - particularly in primaries but even in some general election situations.

For example, take our friend Jack Coatar (a Democrat), who’s running in a special election for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President.

In this photo, my husband and I are standing with him (and his awesome wife and new baby) in support as he formally launched his campaign. We might have been the only conservatives there (!), but we definitely weren’t the only ones who want what’s best for our city. Jack is business-focused and committed to reversing the corruption and waste that’s plagued St. Louis for so long. His opponent is hell-bent on unionizing the city from top to bottom. 

So if you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t sit out an election like this. If voters of one party feel alienated and stay home, it gives extreme candidates on the opposing side a carte blanche to victory. 

Extremes are toxic for American politics. Let the politicians win who are actually committed to cooperating across the aisle. It’s the only recipe for truly getting anything accomplished.