MORE COVERAGE State Treasurer Joe Deters. Enquirer/STEVEN M. HERPPICH

• Time in Columbus tarnished Deters • Advocate likes to bring the big guys down • Blackwell says election has all his attention • Democrat candidates harp on danger of 'one-party rule' • Attorney general looking into Allen affair • Prosecutor quitting as UC trustee • EDITORIAL: One-party system not healthy • Borgman editorial cartoon • Special section: Mike Allen coverage

Because he had no opposition on the ballot, incumbent prosecutor Mike Allen was all but a sure thing for re-election, despite admitting to an affair with a subordinate and being sued by the woman for sexual harassment and discrimination.

Historically, write-in candidates have virtually no chance against someone whose name is actually on the ballot.

Fanon Rucker, who registered as a write-in for the office Monday, after Allen announced he was withdrawing from the race, considered running in the spring, but backed off, said Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke.

Had Rucker declared early enough to have his name on the ballot, his name would now be the only one voters would see for the race on Nov. 2.

Now the contest is between a slew of write-ins, including State Treasurer and former prosecutor Joe Deters, whose name recognition gives him an edge over the pack.

This fall's election still features a dozen unopposed judicial races in Hamilton County. Nor is there any Democratic opposition for sheriff or county engineer. Last year there were 90 races for local offices throughout Hamilton County that went uncontested, and eight with no candidates at all.

In 2002, two-thirds of the seats in the Kentucky House were unopposed. This year 48 of the 100 Kentucky House races and eight of 19 Senate races have no opposition.

The Allen fiasco points out the the wisdom of putting up opposition against even "unbeatable" incumbents. Failure to do so undermines the democratic system, which provides at least a chance for minority views to be heard.

"This (scandal) is exactly why you don't want to leave a slot open," Burke said. "Things can happen, people drop out, they get sick, you never know."

In a July 25 essay in the Enquirer, Burke noted that no Democrat was running for prosecutor, and asked: "Could such a candidate defeat Republican incumbent Mike Allen? Maybe not, but wouldn't we benefit from public debate? ..."

He was right.

Modern elections, of course, have become increasingly more expensive and media-driven, and that can scare off those who don't have the support of a political party or who can't pay for their own campaign. But that must not stop a willing person with good ideas and the desire to push the conversation forward.

A one-party system is not healthy in a democracy that respects diverse opinions. Running a political campaign can seem daunting, especially if one party's candidates come off as sacrificial lambs, but as the Allen case proves, it's important to cover all bases.