To the Editor:

Vote for the candidate, not the party.

Abraham Lincoln? Vote for him? Absolutely not! He’s a Republican! Vote for John F. Kennedy? Absolutely not! He’s a Democrat!

Vote for Eliot Spitzer — you bet! He’s our Democrat; or Spiro Agnew — you bet! He’s our Republican.

If all of this sounds ridiculous to you, there is a reason. When did we forget what voting is about? When did we forget why we vote? Our responsibility as voters is to vote for the best candidate. That is a responsibility to our neighbors, our community, and a responsibility to ourselves.

The Third Judicial District race for Supreme Court Justice has four candidates: three men and one woman. A review of their websites and Facebook pages tells us their stories.

This easy research tells us what they want us to know about their backgrounds. This exercise informs us. Who among them is involved in our community? Who has reached out over the years to serve the public? Who is reaching out now and to whom?

I have done my research. I will select who will judge me and judge my community based on that candidate’s legal credentials and, more importantly, based on that candidate’s community credentials. For me the choice is easy. I am voting for Linda Blom Johnson. Now it’s time for you to do your research. 

Kayla Potter

Albany