All Politics is International

By Robin M. Itzler

Tip O’Neill, the 47th Speaker of the House (1977 – 1987), coined the phrase, “All politics is local.” This has been proven true in multiple elections; however, for Americans who care about Israel, local “nonpartisan” elections are now international.

City councils and school boards have immense decision-making power regarding issues that affect Jews and Israel.  For instance:

City Councils:

• Approving building permits for a new or expanded Muslim community where sharia law, that goes against the U.S. Constitution, would be enforced.
• Deciding if the city should support BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) that advocates for economic, cultural, and academic boycotts against Israel and international companies that do business with Israel.
• Recognizing Muslim holidays and expanding city government closures to include those holidays.
• Policy for paying city government employees for non-Judeo-Christian religious holidays.
• Adopting a sister city. If the city already has a sister city in the Jewish state, should it continue? Would the council be asked to adopt a Muslim city?
• The city council’s position on adopting resolutions that take a position on Middle East issues.
• How would the council vote if asked to fly the Hamas flag (aka Palestinian flag) on certain dates?

Board of Education:

• Must city schools abide by Muslim halal when deciding cafeteria menu offerings?
• Are Muslim girls allowed to wear hijabs in school? If yes, are they allowed to avoid certain classes (such as gym) without penalty?
• Must there be a designated area for the Muslims to pray or it is up to the students to find a place to pray voluntarily during non-instructional time.

Unlike many federal and state races where ballots convey the candidate’s party registration, most local races are nonpartisan so unless voters know the candidate’s party affiliation, they must guess. These races usually include municipal and county offices along with city council, school boards and judges.

Let’s be honest, in today’s toxic political environment, there is no such thing as “nonpartisan candidates.” This issue is discussed across the country:

• The Assembly – North Carolina (Nov. 5, 2025): Are Non-Partisan Races a Thing of the Past?
• Georgia Recorder (May 15, 2026): Georgia Supreme Court candidates are running in a nonpartisan race. But it doesn’t feel like it.
• South Dakota Searchlight (June 8, 2026: Statewide Partisan Stakes Surface in Nonpartisan Sioux Falls Mayor Race

In the past, it was believed that most candidates for local positions shared the same desires: what is best for our city. That is why most local races are nonpartisan. However, today the political divide is too deep to ignore. Knowing a candidate’s political party preference offers an introduction into their personal values and core beliefs. After all, there is a reason someone selects Democrat over Republican or even No Party Preference when registering to vote.

Depending on the audience, candidates have been known to camouflage their political leanings (Not much different than candidates Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton speaking with southern accents when they campaigned in the south.)  Even candidates running in partisan races. For instance, in Iowa Democrat State Auditor Rob Sand is the only Democrat who has won statewide office. He is running for governor against Republican Zach Lahn. It appears that Sand is marketing himself as a Republican. John McCormick recently reported in The Wall Street Journal:

“Sand, Iowa’s only Democrat elected to statewide office, offers a potential template on how to compete in red-state America. He frequently quotes the Bible, owns two handguns, asks audiences to sing a few verses of “America the Beautiful” before he speaks and has pledged to have at least one supporter of his opponent in his cabinet if elected.”

 If Democrat Sand was running in a blue state, do you think he would quote the Bible or ask people to sing “America the Beautiful?” He does this assuming an ignorant electorate.

For the 2026 midterms the challenge for Israel supporting Americans is to learn the registration of local candidates. Depending on your state, party affiliation is a matter of public records. But most people are not going to run down to their registrar of voter office to learn the party affiliation of city council and/or school board candidates.

Good news! There are several easy ways to find this information online.

• Review your county GOP endorsements and/or Republican club endorsements.
• Visit the candidate’s website for information that will tell you: