To the editor:

As usual, Call Newspapers is showing which way they lean politically.

Former Executive Editor Mike Anthony, representing the Call, criticized the Oakville Democrats in the past for the organization’s questioning of the Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors’ activity in the 2017 fire board election. The Call refused to print the rebuttal to that article.

Now in the July 19 edition, the Call published headlines to lead residents of our community to believe that only two people are running to replace Rep. Marsha Haefner, R-Oakville, and those two are Republicans.

That is while a 30-year resident of Oakville is running on the Democratic ticket. Mike Walter should have been given credit as a candidate in the article. Is the Call set on slanting their reporting to the Republicans only?

Bob Ford

Oakville

Editor’s note: Mr. Ford is the treasurer of the Oakville Democrats and the Oakville Township Democratic Committeeman.

He wrote a letter to the Call last year that was then published on social media in advance of publication, which does not comply with the Call’s rules for letters. Letters are required to be “exclusively for the Call.”

Then-Executive Editor Mike Anthony offered Mr. Ford the opportunity to rewrite the letter for publication, but that did not occur.

Mr. Ford is referring to the Call’s July 19 candidate questionnaires for the Republican primary in the 96th District House seat held by Haefner.

Mr. Walter was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and the Call typically does not publish questionnaires for unopposed races.

Mr. Walter will have the opportunity in the fall to answer the questionnaire.

The Call has previously reported that Walter is running in the race.