How Much Does Being "From Here" Matter in Local Elections?

As part of my campaign preparation, I watched several past Concord candidate forums hosted by the Patch, the Concord Monitor, and Concord TV. I focused on school board candidates but also watched city council and other local races. It was interesting to see how candidates introduced and framed themselves to voters, regardless of the issues at hand.

A common theme — likely true in most towns and small cities across the country — is how candidates emphasize their deep local connections. Ideally, not only were they born and raised in Concord, perhaps leaving only for college or military service, but their parents and grandparents have also lived here for generations. Bonus points if their last name is Rumford or Downing.

Now, some people, believe it or not, were not born and raised here and yet still have the courage to run for office. For these newcomers, the next best thing is being married to someone with the right local credentials. And if that’s not an option, they often go for this line: "When I moved here in [insert year], I immediately fell in love with the vibrancy of this community and knew I had found my forever home."

I’m being a little sarcastic, of course. The appeal to a candidate’s connection to the community isn't entirely misplaced. A rational voter might not care how long someone has lived here, but they do care about how long they plan to stay. Voters may think that a candidate who won’t be around for the long haul may not make decisions with the same care as someone who will. While candidates rarely admit they plan to leave once their term ends, voters can never be certain of their long-term intentions.

Even if a candidate promises to stick around, we know life takes unexpected turns. Jobs and family situations change, and people move for many reasons. Still, how long someone has lived in a place offers a clue about how long they intend to remain. So, in that sense, local ties do matter.

But let’s be honest: obsessing over local connections can sometimes cross the line into nativism. As a Jew, I know all too well that my ancestors haven’t had the luxury of "staying in one place" for a long time. This is true for many immigrant families and their descendants, who might feel like outsiders no matter where they live — especially in smaller towns. That could help explain why immigrants often gravitate to cities like New York, where most people are from somewhere else and local roots aren’t as emphasized.

I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where the sense of localism is entirely different. In that region, it seems like almost everyone is from somewhere else, and many don’t plan to stay forever. Growing up in Washington offered many advantages, from its rich diversity to abundant cultural opportunities, but it lacked the close-knit, community-oriented feel of a city like Concord. Both environments offer unique strengths, and neither is inherently better.

I moved to New Hampshire in 1999 to join the New Hampshire Public Defender, drawn by the organization’s outstanding reputation. While I had no long-term plans to stay, 25 years later, Concord has become home. My family is settled here, and we’re happy.

When Safiya Wazir, representing East Concord, became the first refugee elected to the state House of Representatives in 2018, I felt a surge of local and patriotic pride — even if I didn’t agree with all of her policy positions. She didn’t have long-standing ties to the area, and it didn’t seem to matter to voters. After all, most people who live in New Hampshire weren’t born here.

So, is a local connection worth mentioning? Absolutely. But is it the most important thing about a candidate? Not at all. What truly matters is a candidate’s vision, ideas, and ability to lead with integrity and commitment to the community’s future. That’s where my focus lies as a candidate for the Concord School Board, and I believe that’s what will best serve Concord’s future.