The Crimson does an admirable job of reporting on local events outside of the University. But one Cambridge election is missing from this report (News, “Harvard Affiliates Lose in Local Races,” Nov. 3). Physician Richard Lavoie, ran against Mass. Senate President Robert Traviligni.

It is bad enough when the democratic system degenerates into a one party system as in Cambridge. This year there were five Republican candidates for state office in Cambridge. That news story went unreported in all of the local papers. Add the bias among journalists to cater to incumbents and the current unaccountable situation is obvious. The papers in the districts Lavoie ran to represent did not mention his candidacy.

As third-party presidential nominees Ralph Nader, David Cobb and Michael Badnarik noted, being excluded from the national debates ensured a low vote count for their campaigns. But if the media ignores candidates how do citizens overcome being uninformed?

Contrary to the headline for this story, State Senator Jarrett Barrios, who represents Harvard at the state house, won his unopposed race again this year. This is the third time he won with no opposition. Candidates for the Governor’s Council also ran unopposed. Keeping the government honest requires more than following the presidential election every four years. Thanks for your help keeping people informed.

ROY BERCAW

Cambridge, Mass.

November 4