Live Where You Run

Tonight's news featured a big flap about a candidate for District Attorney in Summit County. No, it's not because he's running unopposed. It's not because he's a Republican in a Democratic stronghold. No, it's because he doesn't really live there.

This is nothing new. Candidates will frequently "district shop" until they find one they like and then buy a home to establish residency. Hillary Clinton evoked accusation of carpet-bagger in her run for Senator in New York. Its frequency, however, doesn't make it right.

Buying a house in a district and making an obviously false promise to reside in it is dishonest to the electorate. They have the reasonable expectation that you will be a part of the community you are asking to serve. If the candidate is willing to lie about where they live to get elected, what else are they going to lie about? Can you trust any job applicant that lies to get their foot in the door? Probably not.

What he's doing isn't technically illegal. State law requires little more than a promise to live in a residence in the district, something that's about as solid as a frozen lake in June. Because Mr. Brickey is running without opposition, these revelations won't send him back to his Salt Lake City home. Jeers to him for shamelessly manipulating state law to opportunistically take a $100,000 a year job. I guess we know what kind of District Attorney he'll be.

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