Michael Bagdes-Canning Has Submitted the Required Paperwork to Appear On the Ballot In November
- Editor
- Aug 2
- 2 min read
Last week, Michael Bagdes-Canning submitted the required paperwork to appear on the November ballot in Cherry Valley. Bagdes-Canning is running for re-election as the Borough’s Mayor. He will be running as a member of the Green Party.
Bagdes-Canning is running to continue the work that he and the Borough Council started. He cited the revitalized Council and the recent grant the borough received from the Butler County Commissioners.
Bagdes-Canning will continue to speak out against the corruption of our democracy and the ballot access laws that penalize all of us, but especially tiny communities like Cherry Valley.
Bagdes-Canning observed, “Our system isn’t broken, it’s fixed. Our government doesn’t serve our needs; it doesn’t do our bidding."
“After spending the last 15 years working to change Harrisburg and Washington, I’ve become convinced that they are arguing about the right way to do the wrong things. They do the bidding of the billionaires and ignore those of us who work for a living. Neither party offers us a way to a better future; both offer us more of the same. I’m running because conservatives don’t conserve and liberals don’t liberate.”
“When I was filling out the financial disclosure form mandated by the State Ethics Commission, I was struck with how concerned our legislators were about the possible ethics of small town mayors like me – asking about any gifts I may have received that were worth more than $250 – but unconcerned that Chapter 13A of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Code actually defines lobbying as ‘providing gifts’ to ‘further the interests of the lobbyist.’ Our representatives are policing the little guy but putting a For Sale sign on the Capitol in Harrisburg.”
“I am also struck by how easy it is for a Green like me to get on the ballot and how difficult it is for my neighbors. The way election law is written, it is impossible for Democrats to get on the ballot in Cherry Valley and it is near impossible for Republicans. The Democrats and Republicans erect barriers to discourage participation of regular people. Usually, these barriers harm third party candidates like me, but in tiny communities like Cherry Valley, it actually makes it easier. This type of lunacy ensures that we have to run a slate of write-in candidates every election year. We need to lower barriers!”
