Here's how Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keith Allred responded, in a recent interview, to a question about whether his run on a partisan ticket will destroy The Common Interest, the nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization he's worked for five years to build:

"If I run and win, I think I have powerfully advanced the vision of The Common Interest, and that's the reason for running. If I run and lose, then I think I've set it back substantially, and I don't take that lightly - it's the passion of my life. But I don't think I've ended it. I think there would be ways forward. (He said that might include getting a Republican co-chair, or taking a lesser role in the organization and having others step forward.) "This is a passion that I will follow for the rest of my life." He added, "I'm not too worried about that, because I intend on winning and showing how to govern this way."