I grew up in a sports household. Everything was a competition, and if you weren’t trying to win, then you might as well not try at all. Some of my biggest heroes were athletes with a certain swagger and confidence in themselves and their abilities.

The confidence, not arrogance, that they have what it takes to defeat their opponent. It had nothing to do with who was standing across from them, but everything to do with their own capabilities. Perhaps this is what drew me to politics as well. One-on-one races where the battle of ideas takes place.

Candidates confidently articulate their beliefs and how they will better serve their voters. They duke it out on policy and shake hands afterwards.

​I attended the Shelby County GOP runoff forum on Tuesday, and I was taken aback by the negativity and tension. I expected fireworks, but it certainly overdelivered on that. With such a high turnout of voters at that event, I couldn’t help but think that they were given a disservice to a certain extent.

Now, I would be lying if I said I didn’t get sucked into the drama in the moment, being a politico myself. But as it sat with me more, I wondered: what did the average voter who attended this forum really leave with other than nasty insults? What about that unengaged voter who came to learn about the office and who they can trust the most, and instead got a catfight between two candidates behind a microphone?

​Runoff season is an extremely interesting period. Candidates are already burnt out from the campaign trail and have another 4 weeks added on top of it.

But with just one opponent, they often go for blood. This runoff period in Alabama appears to be taking a negative turn in many races, with candidates deciding to smear their opponents rather than appeal to voters.

This trend will only grow as we get closer to June 16, but here’s some advice to conservative voters on what to look for. And if you’re a candidate, perhaps some advice on what the citizens of Alabama really want.

​If a candidate’s entire message is smearing their opponent, based on issues that are unrelated to their qualifications to serve, that’s a red flag. They’ll flood the airwaves with shady background music and a voiceover claiming that this candidate is unfit to serve because (insert unrelated issue).

Personal attacks involving family, campaign members, and other aspects of a candidate’s life prove nothing to voters about your capabilities. You’re no longer discussing policy or ideas; you’re just mudslinging and hoping you somehow end up with less mud on you. The race then stops becoming about the citizens of Alabama, but about yourself.

​Conservatives need to look for candidates who have a quiet, but confident spirit about them. They won’t take the route of smearing the one across from them, but will boldly speak directly to you about why they deserve your vote.

We can talk about small government vs. big government, tax policy, foreign policy, etc., but we can’t do that until we stop constantly trying to bury our opponents. The focus must be on the office and the values Alabamians deserve from our elected officials.

​Pride comes before the fall. To candidates vying for our vote in this runoff, I would suggest you take the route of making it about the voters, and not yourself. Not only is it a turnoff, but it’s unbecoming of someone who desires to be a servant. That office is not yours, and the more time you spend talking about your opponent, the less time you spend talking about your own stances.

​I actually don’t mind if races get tense. As a matter of fact, if they’re not at this period, then do you really want to win? These are important seats that you’re running for here, and I want someone in them who truly wants it. However, the key is healthy competition. May the best ideas win, and have every debate or forum be about nerdy details about the office.

​I make the sports reference on purpose because I was always taught there’s a difference between confidence and arrogance. You need confidence to succeed.

You have to have that belief in yourself to perform the objective at hand; it’s a bold and humble spirit. Your confidence comes from the Lord, and you walk with confidence down the path God has laid out for you. Arrogance, however, is self-serving. You push others down to lift yourself up. You belittle others to make yourself look better, and you believe that others owe you everything.

I urge voters to look past the negativity this runoff season and see whose ideas you trust the most. And if you can’t find any ideas or policies from a certain candidate other than negativity towards their opponent, perhaps that’s an indictment of their ability to serve.

Justin “JP” Plott is the executive producer/co-host of “The Rightside with Allison and Amie Beth” and co-owner of Rightside Media. You can find him on X @JPRightside. Watch “The Rightside with Allison and Amie Beth” every weekday from 10am-12pm CT at www.rightsidemedia.org.