You won the election, now earn everyone's trust

Getting more votes wins an election. What you do afterward determines whether you earn people’s trust.

Now that the Burke County election is behind us, most local candidates have a win to celebrate. But the margins were not overwhelming. I hope those who won will take a little time to think about that, too.

If voters across much of the state chose a different party while our local candidates held on, that ought to give our winners pause — not a reason to panic, but a reason to be humble.

A local win shouldn’t become an excuse to say, “Everything is fine here.” The better question is, “What do we need to hear?”

When I held public office, every time I won an election, I asked myself a simple question: Why did some people choose not to vote for me, and what do I need to do for them?

Was there a concern I hadn’t addressed, a decision they disagreed with, or something I needed to understand better? I couldn’t assume I knew. I needed to listen.

I wasn’t asking how to get their votes the next time around. I was asking how to serve them right then. They were my constituents, too, and their concerns mattered just as much as the concerns of those who supported me.

Winning an election gives you a job to do. It doesn’t mean everyone agrees with you, and it doesn’t mean you have all the answers. When the margin is close, that ought to be a reminder to listen — even when you don’t like what you hear.

To everyone who won, congratulations. My challenge to you is this: Make time for the people who voted for someone else. Ask what’s on their minds. Listen without worrying about which side they were on. Explain your decisions and look for places where you can work together.

You don’t have to agree with everybody to serve everybody. But you do have to treat people fairly and be willing to hear them out. The office you hold belongs to the public — not to your campaign or your party.

Can we get politics out of politics? Probably not. But we can stop making every conversation about which side someone is on.

You don’t have to leave your principles at the door. You do have to open that door to people who voted against you.

You may never earn someone’s vote, but you can still earn their trust. Keep your word, give them a fair hearing, and follow through when they ask for help. They don’t have to agree with your politics to know you’ll treat them fairly.

And if your candidate lost, don’t feel that you have to sit on the sidelines. Keep showing up. Ask questions. Hold your elected officials accountable. We still need to talk to one another about where Burke County goes from here.

When all is said and done, what matters most isn’t how much you won by. It’s what you do once you’re in office.

I hope every successful candidate in Burke County will ask the questions I asked myself: Why did some people vote against me, and what do I need to do for them?

Winning should bring gratitude, but it should also bring a sense of responsibility. The people who didn’t support you deserve to feel that their concerns matter, too.

You got more votes; now show what winning means by serving everyone — including the people who voted against you.