​The case for optimism on Election Day

The adage that “all politics is local” seems a quaint concept these days. For much of this century, state and local races have been dominated by national political discourse. Gubernatorial candidates, county commissioners, and even would-be school board members have taken up the hyperpartisan mantle of their respective national political parties, injecting wedge and culture war issues into races with little connection to issues affecting their local constituents.

And for the last dozen years, this fixation on national politics has been supercharged by one happily polarizing presence. No matter how local the race, the question increasingly boils down to this: Are you for or against Donald Trump?

Localized politics may be the salve for a democracy in decline.

At first blush, this midterm election season feels like more