As the 2010 election heads toward the finish line, I hope candidates don’t destroy any integrity or class with which some have run the race as we move down the home stretch.

A variety of races across Lawrence County, the state of Ohio and, ultimately, the nation are going to be close.

They have become more contested and more heated as we have gotten closer to the Nov. 2 finale.

Anyone who checks the mail has seen an absolute deluge of mailers in recent days, each a little nastier than the one before and most focused more on throwing mud at their opponents than actually talking about issues.

Some have been so ridiculous that they should be illegal. It is almost expected that political campaigning often requires candidates to spin information certain ways or offer some half truths. But some of the allegations and claims that have surfaced recently are so ridiculous that they should be illegal.

If we were to believe all the things that are showing up in the mail, every politician has shipped jobs overseas, most hate old people, several love our prisoners and a few are actually aliens sent here to infiltrate our government and take over the world.

OK, that last one wasn’t actually included in a flier but some of the mud being thrown is almost as silly.

For the most part, the candidates aren’t doing it themselves, leaving the parties and special interests to do the dirty work.

But that isn’t a valid excuse.

If these candidates cannot stand up to their own parties and special interest groups now, how are they going to do so later?

Many of these candidates may have to work together once the winner takes office. It would be an absolute shame if a few of these individuals stoop so low this close to the end.

I challenge every one of the candidates to play nice, show class and integrity and stand by what you say as we wrap up these last two days prior to the election.

Lawrence County — and much of small-town America — was once famous for midnight mailings and grassroots campaigns that attempted to slam opponents at the 11th hour.

Hopefully that will not come to pass this year.

In three days this election will be over and it will be time for partisanship to take a backseat once again.

It is important that candidates remember that we are all ultimately on the same team. If we wore jerseys, they would all have the word America across the front.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com.