Politics can be a tough business. You can be criticized unfairly, and your positions misrepresented.

You may run in an area where your party is not strong. In addition, timing is an important factor, and being in "the wrong place at the wrong time" is not advantageous. Yet still you may pay for the "sins" and actions of others that you are not personally responsible for.

To the winners in The Day's circulation area, I congratulate. To the losers, thanks for giving the voters a choice, and being part of the process.

In local politics, it appears in many cases it is not easy to get candidates. That is not helpful for democracy. Time is a precious commodity. With many families with both couples working, their free time is limited, especially with family responsibilities. In thinking out how to spend their "free time," I ask them to consider politics. It can be both rewarding and disappointing, however.

I am a bachelor who has a job in retail, but I am active in politics. I realize politics is not most people's main priority, but it is worth at least some attention of every adult. 

Scott Bill Hirst

Ashaway, Rhode Island 

Editor’s note: Mr. Hirst is the Hopkinton, R.I. town moderator and the head of the local Republican Party.