An Address from John Safford

It has taken a few days but I wanted to think through how I might best respond to my third loss as a candidate for office in Saratoga Springs.

I received more votes than in any of my previous runs and I am extremely grateful to everyone who supported and voted for me. I also wish the best to both Matt and Tara as they continue to represent this unique city in the county. I also congratulate Shawn Wiggins on running a solid upbeat campaign. 

In some ways I am grateful to BLM whose protests fueled such strong reactions from many citizens but at the same time I observed at their “rock the vote” event that they may have changed their tactics from violence and confrontation to voting as the true power of a representative democracy. I see this as a good thing and hope they continue to pursue a peaceful, positive and truly American way of addressing grievances. 

I remain deeply committed to moderation and practicality in politics and do not believe that the government should be engaged in cultural ideologies from either the church or from political correctness. Politics, in my view, is not about social and cultural activism but about what everyday people need in their everyday pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

The American experiment continues, and the question remains open. Can citizens effectively run their own government? For me, it starts and ends here in Saratoga Springs NY and in every town and city and village where people of every stripe and color find ways to address their differences in positive and constructive ways.

– John Safford