Dear editor, Partisan politics during this time of year is expected on national and state issues, but rarely do we see those strategies in the local arena as was portrayed on the Opinion & Letters page on Sept. 29. And why not? Because it can be viewed as divisive and exclusive.

I was surprised to see the lack of leadership among some candidates for office in American Canyon who allowed their names to be used by their party to project partisanship and risk alienating some segments of our community. The party has weighed in, and for what reason? To score points for a side? What about people who have no side, or those on the other side? Are we now going to say, “Oh, look what the party did,” as opposed to evaluating performance on the basis of individual or collective efforts of elective officials? Partisan politics led to a slowdown in getting a budget for our state and cooperation on getting our economy running again.

In my 22 years in American Canyon, I cannot remember a time when partisanship was boldly played as a strategy to win seats. I do not see myself running against anyone. I see myself (and there are some other candidates, too) as someone who is running for the people of our community and for respectable leadership. I purposely did not ask for an endorsement from any group in my run for mayor of American Canyon because I personally do not want to risk giving the impression that I will owe that group something over the voting public. That is proven leadership.

Morris A. Curry Jr. / American Canyon