OPINION — Sherri James claims to respect election results, yet her recent letter does the exact opposite by declaring that winning candidates have "done nothing to earn respect" and dismissing the majority of Fountain Hills voters as supporters of "contemptuous politics.” True respect for democracy isn't conditional, it requires honoring the voters' choice even when your preferred candidates lose.
Ms. James resorts to labeling fellow residents "deplorable" and painting an entire campaign apparatus as sinister, while conveniently ignoring that aggressive tactics, PACs and online rhetoric exist on both sides of the aisle. Blaming a third-party PAC for a candidate’s victory unfairly diminishes the intelligence of local voters who evaluated the actual platform, fiscal policies and vision for our town.
Furthermore, her assertion that local Democrats are treated as "second-class citizens" reduces non-partisan municipal governance to national identity politics. Potholes, street maintenance, public safety and budget management do not carry a party label. Voters in Fountain Hills elected leaders based on practical priorities, not partisan grievances.
