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The following guest opinion was submitted by Susan Seaman, former Eureka Mayor and program director at North Edge Business Financing and Community Development.

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Humboldt County, as a remote, rural community, struggles to find resources for many of our basic needs, from infrastructure to services. What we don’t lack is community engagement. Unlike many communities, we have residents who know their representatives, participate in public meetings, and rally around issues they care about.

Yet we’re facing a growing problem: not enough people are willing to run for office.

Eureka adopted ranked-choice voting years ago, but it has never been implemented. It hasn’t even been necessary to do so. Since 2018, only one council race had more than two candidates. That’s not much of a choice. 

Across Humboldt County, elected officials often stay in office longer than they intended simply because there isn’t a clear successor ready to step forward.

Over the past several years, politics have divided our community and our country. When I served as Mayor of Eureka from 2018 to 2022, I fear I served at the tail end of civility and respectful disagreement in public service.

When COVID happened, something shifted. Disruption not only became normalized; it became a strategy. Public meetings grew more hostile, and people increasingly supported or opposed decisions not because of the facts or the merits, but because of who was making them.

Humboldt County isn’t unique. Communities across the country are experiencing the same thing. In the four years since I left office, I’ve watched the job become even more difficult for council members and other public servants. Now that it’s time for people to step up and run for office, we’re paying the price because potential candidates aren’t blind to what they see.

Most people experience local government through angry social media posts, contentious council meetings, and the loudest voices in the room. If that’s all you see, why would anyone volunteer to put themselves and their family through it?

But here’s what those moments don’t show.

City Council meetings are only a small fraction of the job. By the time you’re sitting on the dais, you’ve spent hours reading reports, meeting with residents and staff, visiting businesses, and learning about the issues before you. More importantly, you meet extraordinary people.

You meet volunteers who clean up neighborhoods, mentor kids, feed families, plant trees, create public art, and prepare for disasters. You meet business owners who invest in the community because they believe in this place. You work alongside dedicated city employees who genuinely care about their community and the work they do.

Despite the criticism that often dominates public conversation, I believe most people who serve in local government come away loving their community more—not less.

The real danger is what happens when thoughtful, capable people decide public service simply isn’t worth it. They choose to protect their time, their families, and their peace of mind by not running. Every time another reasonable person steps aside, it becomes easier for louder, more ideological voices to fill the vacuum. Collaboration becomes harder. Staff spend more time managing conflict than solving problems. Everyone loses.

I treasured my years serving the City of Eureka. Were there difficult days? Absolutely. But when I look back, the positive memories far outweigh the negative ones. I had the privilege of working alongside remarkable people who cared deeply about their community, even when they disagreed with one another.

So, if you’ve ever considered running for office but decided the climate was simply too toxic, I’d ask you to think again. If you’ve already decided to run, thank you. Whether I agree or disagree with your vision, I appreciate your willingness to devote your time to serving our community.

Our communities don’t need perfect candidates. They need thoughtful people who are willing to listen, ask questions, work with others, and put the community ahead of political identity. We need real choices. Competitive elections force candidates to demonstrate their judgment, their understanding of the job, and their ability to lead.

The best way to improve local government isn’t to stand on the sidelines wishing for better leaders—or simply accepting the only person willing to run. We need good people willing to become them. Is that you?