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In Williamson, a deeply conservative Wayne County town where I live, something unusual happened last fall: a number of Republicans backed a Democratic candidate for local office. How did a Democrat earn support from Republicans in a small town where Donald Trump won 64 percent of the 2024 presidential vote?
I found that what motivated these Republicans wasn’t national politics, but concerns about their community, local leadership, and the future of the town. This isn’t a story about left vs. right. It’s about what happens when local politics become less partisan and what a small town in the Rochester region can teach us about fixing political polarization in America.
Hélène Biandudi Hofer is a founding principal of Good Conflict, an organization that helps people listen and be heard in times of profound disagreement. A journalist and documentary filmmaker, Hofer is a former Beacon board member.
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A beautiful story that I hope more people ger to see rather than just “the choir”.