It’s Primary Election Eve! Thank you to every candidate who put their name on the ballot, even those we criticized.

It’s not always easy putting your name out there. You know you’re going to be attacked. Internet trolls make up lies about you. Some people even believe those lies. They repeat those lies over and over until other people believe those lies to be true. Sometimes we try to set the record straight.

It all comes with the territory.

Volunteers line up behind a candidate. Some become emotionally attached to the campaign they aggressively represent on social media (some are honest, others simply repeat the lies).

Folks argue about what candidate is best. Sometimes it gets personal.

This year is certainly different than past years. A couple of races got really ugly.

Because this election is mostly a mail-in election it could take at least a week – maybe more – to declare a winner.

After the votes are all counted your candidate might not win, but remember you chose to get involved in partisan politics. Candidates especially, please remember you chose to get involved in partisan politics. No one forced you to compete in a primary election.

Primary elections are family fights. As with any family fight, we all kiss and make up after the fight for the greater good.

In other words – if you are a candidate and you lose, it is your duty to support the candidate that just beat you – it’s the price you pay for picking a team to play on.

If you are the supporter of a candidate and your candidate loses the same rule applies.

And, yes, here at the Bob & Steve Show we practice what I am preaching in this post.

In 2018’s CD2 primary I was with former Cumberland County Freeholder and former 1st Legislative District Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi. Bob was with Fiocchi. Seth Grossman won the primary, Bob and I got behind him. Fiocchi got behind Grossman. Bob and I launched the radio show about a month after that primary and Grossman was our first ever guest on the show.

The Republican candidate running in CD1, Claire Gustafson, competed in the primary in that district in 2014. The Republican organization’s in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester all lined up behind Garry Cobb. Gustafson didn’t complain the system was rigged, she ran her race. She didn’t win. She got behind Cobb and even went to one of his fundraiser to contribute financially to his campaign. She did what a partisan should do and supported the team!

As recently as this year Bob and I did the right thing. In CD2 when there was a crowded field we got behind candidates. Bob was behind Brian Fitzherbert. I favored David Richter. Then Congressman Jeff Van Drew became a Republican and earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The President is the head of the party and, as partisans, we did as partisans are supposed to do, followed the president’s lead and threw our support to Van Drew.

Considering two guys as opinionated as Bob and I have shown that we can get behind someone we did not support in a primary – you can do it too.

I don’t want to hear any garbage like “I could never vote for someone who believe such and such.” Get behind the winner of the primary because you chose to take part in partisan politics and that’s what partisans do.

Never forget, you chose to play on the Republican team. It was your choice. If you don’t like it then you shouldn’t have decided to engage in partisan politics. Go change your registration to unaffiliated!

Besides, ANY Republican is better than any of the Democrats who will be on November’s ballot.