NEWS

This is a follow-up letter to the recent Crescent-News article on the 2025 elections in Defiance.
In the City of Defiance three nonpartisan elections will take place in the general election on
Nov. 4. On city council, three seats for at-large and the seat for president, along with two
nonpartisan seats on the Defiance City Schools Board of Education will all be on the ballot. The
winners of each of these respective Elections will serve a four-year term.

If no incumbent candidate decides to run for re-election or you wish to challenge an incumbent,
the first question that you need to ask yourself is; why should I run for public office?
If you decide to run for public office, please ask yourself the following question: If elected, can I
make good decisions while serving the best interest of my community? If I decide to run, how
do I assess my viability as a candidate?

In your personal assessment of yourself, things to consider are: Are you a good public speaker
and listener? Do you like to be prepared? Are you receptive and responsive to concerns? Are
you driven to find answers and solutions when needed?

Also, those of you who participate in volunteerism and civic leadership in our community would
be surprised to learn that your good work does not go unnoticed. It attracts attention for your
good service and recognizes you as a public figure. This attention and recognition is kind of your
personal brand awareness and opens opportunities for you to use your brand to run for public
office.

If you ask most elected officials in our community why they ran for public office, most would
say they wanted to give back to their community. Oftentimes, this is a direct reflection of the
many hours an elected official had spent, as a volunteer helping others and a desire to do more,
if elected.

Candidates seeking to run for a seat on city council or a seat on the school board need to
submit their petitions to the county board of elections by 4 p.m. on Aug. 6. If interested,
election information and petitions can be obtained from the Defiance County Board of
Elections, 1300 E. Second St., Suite 103, Defiance.

My final thought is: A life lived well needs to include public service. Good luck to all candidates.

Joe Eureste
Defiance