We encourage voters to press the button on election day for Danny O’Connor, the Democrat who is running in the Aug. 7 special election for the House, a taxpayer expenditure forced by Republican Pat Tiberi’s resignation in the middle of his term. (Tiberi found what he must have regarded as a better job with the Ohio Business Roundtable.) Once that special election is settled, the 12th District will once again have representation, something this district’s citizens have lived without since Tiberi resigned. Then, on election day in November, there will be another election to determine who will serve the 12th District for the normal two-year term. O’Connor will be running again, and we will be voting for him again.

Here is why Democrats should vote for Danny O’Connor: He is a pragmatist who sees the value of finding centrist solutions to issues that face us. He is not a wild-eyed liberal; he believes government should work toward ensuring health care for all, not necessarily through a one-payer system; he believes that decisions involving reproduction belong to women, not the government; he believes in common sense gun regulations. Most Americans share these beliefs: You do not have to be a partisan to support O’Connor.

Here is why Republicans and Independents should vote for Danny O’Connor: If you support Donald Trump, but feel some level of squeamishness about his affinity for Putin and his disdain for our allies, or about his zero tolerance policies which led to “tender age” detention centers for toddlers at the border, or about his impetuousness in connection to foreign policy issues, or about his claims that the press is the “enemy of the people,” or about his environmental anti-regulatory zeal, or about his adventures in adultery, or more generally, about what seem to be his genuine difficulties with speaking truthfully, then a vote for Danny O”Connor is the right vote. You would not be turning Donald Trump out of office by helping the Democrats regain the House: You would be putting a hand of restraint upon the president’s shoulder. We don’t think President Trump would agree, but we do think Melania would.

O’Connor’s Republican competitor for the seat, Troy Balderson, is not bothered by any of the above. He is unabashedly behind Trump. To Balderson’s credit, he does not equivocate: even in the midst of “tender age” detention centers, multiple indictments along with multiple guilty pleas from people connected to Trump’s administration and/or campaign along with Trump’s mysterious deference to Putin in Helsinki, Balderson is completely straightforward on his website about his unwavering loyalty to Trump.

Not very many Americans vote; that’s especially true for special elections. It’s a virtual certainty that far less than half of registered voters will participate in the upcoming special election. That means your vote will carry extra clout. Early voting for the special election is now available. If we don’t vote, we deserve what we get. Please vote on or before Aug. 7.

Dan and Mary Morrison

Delaware