Congrats, candidates; now let's get down to business

We congratulate the local and statewide candidates who emerged from Tuesday's primary and move on to the general election.

Now we have a favor to ask you: During the next 11 weeks, give Nevada residents a clean, issue-based campaign that empowers them when they go to the polls on Nov. 2. We want to vote for candidates because we understand and like their ideas, not because they came out least-bloodied in a nasty campaign season. Voters are cynical enough already and who can blame them after the barrage of negative campaign ads we endured leading up to the primary.

So keep it clean. Resist the urge to malign your opponents' character (doing so only tells us something about your own). To be successful in office will require reaching across aisles, building consensus, compromising. Candidates who tear down their opponents are not likely to have the traits to do that.

As a newspaper, we pledge to our readers that we will bring them all the information they need to make informed decisions on Election Day. We ask that you be specific on how you would represent the citizens of Nevada. Do not tell us you are in favor of good schools, better roads, low taxes and tighter immigration controls. Tell us what you would do to make those things happen, and how you would pay for them.

Set an ambitious debate schedule with your opponents far before the election. Attend forums. Answer questions honestly.

Never forget that you are not, or at least should not be, running for office to stroke your ego or further your career.

You're running because you love this place, and you have ideas on how to make it an even better place to live.

We look forward to learning how you intend to accomplish that.