When she was born, Insulin had just been introduced for treating diabetes… the first baseball game was played at Yankee Stadium… and a gallon of gas cost around 20-cents a gallon.
On Tuesday… at 95 years old, this Charlevoix county woman has just sky-dived for the first time and now wants to be elected to her first political office.
Ellen Addington is not your typical politician… The day I met up with her, she was visiting a woman who doesn’t vote. They chatted for a half an hour. Addington says she’s never held political office… but this election cycle, at 95 years old, and with the encouragement of some friends, she decided to run.
And I said What if I were ten years out here I'd run they said why don't you limit the by now who's going to vote for ninety five year old person for heaven's sake he said well in there might be some ninety five year old people vote for you but well so I said OK I will never I decide I'm not going to be a sacrificial lamb that if I'm going to run I'm going to run. I just, you know, girded up my loins and said I'm gonna get some yard signs and get some brochures and I went for it.
So Addington got down to business, and on the ballot for an open seat on Charlevoix county’s board of commissioners.
She says her family supports her political aspirations.
They think it’s wonderful. My niece is doing a lot of addressing. And She doesn't agree with my politics but We love each other but we just don’t talk politics.
“We don’t talk politics”…Interestingly, I heard that more than once from this political candidate. Like so many people, she says she navigates mixed political waters in her own family by not pushing her agenda. But it seems there is one thing that gets her goat.
I cannot understand people not voting.
And that she will speak out about.
I ask kids, “are you registered to vote”? “Nah, I don’t know anything about that”. I said “ well then learn. Can you read? Read the newspaper”
Addington says she couldn’t wait until she was able to vote. And now she’s seeing how the other half lives. Campaigning… asking for votes...
I just got tired of seeing people run unopposed and just walk into offices.
She says, for the most part, she enjoys the campaign. She likes talking to people…and going door-to-door is eye opening.
And I said I'm running for county commissioner and would like your vote she said. I'm a Jehovah's Witness and I don't and I said oh well why are you in bed here she says well I'm dying from pancreatic cancer but she was so pleasant and we just talked and laughed about things. And then I went two doors down and here was this woman who was well dressed and who was a lovely home she body and she. It was there my business she was so angry and I don't know why we had we hadn't discussed anything. : 43
And campaigning is all about the connections… talking and listening. Things that seem to come naturally to Addington. So I wondered, what’s the hard part…?
Oh, getting in and out of the car. It’s a pain.
Addington has plans for her county… things she’d like to do if she gets in office. She says this isn’t just a lark. She would like to serve her county.
Ellen Addington would encourage you to do your homework. And Vote
Here is a link to interviews with (D) Ellen Addington and (R) Robert Draves, Jr.
Published in Petoskey News Review and Charlevoix Courier
