Mixed Election Results

It has been a very disappointing night in local politics. 

And a very encouraging night nationwide.

Here in Rome, two fine folks whom I am privileged to call friends, Bonny Askew and Sundai Stevenson have lost re-election. I am happy that two other incumbents that I support have been re-elected. I am very happy that we will have Mark Cochran and Bill Collins still on the commission to be voices for our children and grandchildren and a greater, greener, healthier, safer, friendlier Rome of the future. I had also supported one challenger, Charles Love. Charles has been an outstanding leader for north Rome for several years now. I got to know him through our One Community United group.

Across the United States it was a very good night for small-r republicanism. 

• voted down the MAGA crowd by putting a guarantee of abortion rights into the Ohio constitution.
• Voters in bright red Kentucky voted down the MAGA candidate and sent Andy Beshear back to Frankfurt for another term as Governor
• Voters in Virginia turned against their MAGA governor and gave Democrats control of both houses of the state legislature.
• Even in Mississippi the MAGA governor is in a close race with his democratic challenger

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Now, about the so-called "Better Rome" slate of candidates here in Rome who...

• were supported by the extremist national embarrassment that is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene
• ran as a lily-white-one-race slate in a very diverse city
• accepted huge donations of money and political aid from a statewide real-estate political group

These four white men now have a big job to do. If they are to really be commissioners for ALL of Rome they need to show that they are not MAGA extremists like their Congressional benefactor and not pawns for a statewide political machine that put iunprec dented amounts of money into their city commission races. One is a real estate man, one a developer, one a real-estate appraiser — they need to make SURE and PLAIN to citizens that our city’s future is put above their own business interests?

I taught the son of one of these fellows and have always had a positive view if him; I worked to get one of them elected eight years ago and like him personally; I know one is very interested in trails and the environment as I am. So I have hope and I wish them all well. BUT — they ran a sadly divisive campaign. To urge folks to vote ONLY for their WHITE MALE ticket in our diverse city?!! That is just so divisive and on the surface at least looks racist and misogynous, especially with its MAGA supporters!  They all four have some major fences to mend. 

The people have spoken either by their votes or by staying at home, so these our OUR commissioners. I will support them when I can and I will do my best to hold their feet to the fire when that is what is needed.