Competition Brings Out the Best
No Competition Destroys Accountability and Welcomes Dysfunction
The Warrenton Town Council currently has six members who came into office unopposed.
Paul Mooney, David McGuire, Eric Gagnon, Larry Kovalik, Bill Semple, and Michelle O’Halloran all won their seats without a single competing candidate.
And what has that lack of competition produced?
Four of those unopposed officials — Paul Mooney, David McGuire, Eric Gagnon, and Larry Kovalik — fired one of the most effective Town Managers we’ve had in decades. They offered no clear reason.
One of them, Eric Gagnon, even pushed to fire the Town Attorney he voted for to hire — simply because that attorney questioned the actions and possible ethical or legal issues within the so-called “open and transparent commission.”
Remember: these council members in last election cycle in Warrenton promised an “open and transparent government.”
What have they delivered?
By the Council’s own words “dysfunction.”
America thrives on competition. In sports, in business, in government — competition brings out our best. Without it, accountability disappears.
In 2026, two at-large seats — David McGuire and Paul Mooney — are up for re-election. The mayor’s seat will also be open, with the incumbent not running.
It’s time to pay attention.
It’s time to speak up.
It’s time to act.
It's time to Compete!
Because silence and apathy are exactly what some members of this Council are counting on.
