Charlotte Elections 09

[voyager12]

Can the Democrats finally regain the Mayor's office after 14 years? The locals dems have run weak candidates in the past and Foxx seems to be an improvement. Neither one is particularly inspiring but I personally think a fresher perspective would be helpful and I am going with Foxx. There is some hunger for a new direction. He is trying to play from the Obama handbook right down to employing a firm out of Chicago that has Axlerod connections. I think it's a good move. I voted for Beverly Earle but it would be nice to actually have a real choice and competition this time instead of a joke. According to the O he is still lagging in fundraising. Two wildly divergent polls came out this week. I think it's too early to put much credence behind either one.

McCrory is still very popular with Republicans and moderate Democrats. Lassiter is another button down ultra establishment conservative with a centrist sheen that much of this town loves. Hard to give either one an edge, I think it's going to be close.

It's a good thing that Nancy Carter and Patsy Kinsey both have challengers in their comfy District seats. I don't give Bonapart or Sutkowski much chance of winning but it's a good thing to get more dialogue and issues aired.

Anyone see upsets in the At Large races? Will Georgia Belk's quirky husband to say the least, hurt her chances? If anything more of note is happening on the Republican side please post it.

[aceboogie]

I really don't know if the dems really stand a chance. With all the hoopla going on about Obama and the health reform, it may be smart if the dem candidate distance from that right now. I'm really gonna miss Pat, I think he did an excellent job in Charlotte. Whoever has the best plan for taking Charlotte to the next economic level will get my vote. This mayor race is more important to me than the presidential race. I really hope there are some good ideas about how to drop our unemployment rate below the double digits.

[voyager12]

Oh dear, I just noticed that Dee Dee has given Foxx four grand . Is this a bad sign given the natural mosh pit that has grown into her hole @ Quail Holllow, that patch of land is not "change we can believe in". Also to be fair, the other names on his list are also quite establishment or well known...Former Springs CEO Crandall Bowles, Bill Diehl, former Pols Jim Hunt, Grier Martin. And Foxx's website highlights a pic with said candidate and Hugh McColl. I still think Lassiter has more entrenched corporate support overall, which may explain his $$$ advantage so far.

[HopHead]

This mayor race is more important to me than the presidential race.

[InitialD]

Lassiter has smartly set himself up as a "centrist" candidate - generally following McCrory's model of being mostly progressive on transportation, relatively moderate (or even mum) on social issues, and pushing for business growth and public/private partnerships. On many issues Foxx and Lassiter are relatively similar. Lassiter took issue with the urban street guidelines and the bicycle plan on the basis that they were not specific enough. Foxx is making a push on the issue of affordable housing and homelessness and new ideas, Lassister is making a stance more on leadership and experience (perhaps "maintaining the status quo"). Right now I'd give the edge in the race to Lassiter in my honest assessment; I have doubts about Foxx's ability to get a big enough turnout.

In other city council news, Andy Dulin raised a few eyebrows recently when he said via his Twitter account that he had issues with President Obama's citizenship.

Full disclosure: I'm a contributor with CLTblog, but I really would recommended checking out the two live town halls that we did with Lassiter and Foxx. We were fortunate enough to have an entire hour with each to ask questions, and I think a lot of the questions are relevant to many of the people on this forum. Questions included the topics of bicycle plans, urban street guidelines, funding the light rail, support for domestic partner benefits for city employees, the Independence Blvd. construction/east side issues, affordable housing, etc. The best way to learn about the two of them is in their own words: Town hall with Anthony Foxx, town hall with John Lassiter.

[monsoon]

generally following McCrory's model of being mostly progressive on transportation, relatively moderate (or even mum) on social issues,

[voyager12]

I too wish there was more daylight between Lassiter and Foxx. Charlotte is mostly center right though and our politicians reflect this reality. Lassiter has the advantage of having an almost incumbent advantage since he is so closely aligned with McCrory.

Foxx has the tougher job of carving out a message that is advocating change without coming across as too liberal in order not alienate moderates and swing voters.

[Spartan]

If you are in favor of promoting quality urban development and continuing to build better a transportation system through support of CATS initiatives and the USDG, you should seriously give Foxx consideration. He 'gets it' when it comes to the built environment and he appears to see the big picture pretty well.

Lassiter would not be a bad mayor, but he will bow out to real estate developers and IMO work against the progress Charlotte has made in dealing with its sprawl. He can try to compare himself to McCrory, but he isn't in the same league. Lassiter is much more right of center than McCrory.

Dulin is a raving idiot. I wish that I lived in his district so I could vote against him. I personally don't make my decisions based on party affiliation, however, in his case I would make an exception.

[InitialD]

BTW, the CLTBLOG questions, since you brought it up, were nothing but a bunch of throwaway questions that don't hold them to their record at all. If you guys are going to continue to make the claim that you are somehow different than traditional media, you might want to actually do something in that regard.

[voyager12]

Foxx is trying to hit Lassiter by highlighting past votes that don't match up to campaign statements. But the strength of the attack is undercut when Lassiter can point to other Democrats on Council who voted with him.

[15895]

Most Gays & Lesbians in this city would put him in the camp of hard core conservatives, i.e. the wing nut part of the GOP, given his positions on this matter. He was after all an opening speaker for the GOP convention for the 2004 election whose platform included a constitutional amendment to deny rights to this community.

[monsoon]

All the questions were submitted and voted on by the public the week prior to the town halls. I'm sorry if none of the questions were to your liking, but we'd love to have you submit some questions for the candidates the next time we host town halls with them.

[HopHead]

For what it's worth InitialD and I think most everyone will agree I find CLTBlog to be very informative. It's definitely a fresh look on things related to the city of Charlotte. Depending on one's views of good questions for the mayoral candidates, it definitely gives a good insight on the candidates that people like myself may not be all that familiar with. I subscribe to your twitter updates to keep updated. Keep up the great work!

[tozmervo]

Today on Charlotte Talks they (mike + three reporters) discussed the mayoral race. I learned more about the political background of the race and some more background on the candidates. And while I don't usually let talk shows lead me directly to water so easily, I'm now comfortable dismissing Martin Davis as a fear-mongering nutcase.

[voyager12]

I listened to the archive of the show ^ today, had regretted missing it in RT. Now I really don't know why, as the whole program was a waste of time IMHO. The assembled reporters could not have sounded less interested and disengaged. The whole hour felt like the radio equivalent of paint drying. Everyone, Mike Collins included seemed completely asleep or in a zombie trance. I guess they are all so used to McCrory they can't talk intelligently about anyone else. I learned nothing insightful. The politics related threads on here provide a much better primer.

[atlrvr]

Whoever has the best plan for taking Charlotte to the next economic level will get my vote.

[voyager12]

There seems to be a budding conventional wisdom that Lassiter has an edge. I still think it's going to be close either way. Although as has been mentioned before turnout will be key and for the most part Lassiter's supporters have the ability to come out in larger numbers without hindrances related to transport or job constraints.

The Mayor's job tends to be discounted because it's limited in functional powers, but the position can be leveraged into exerting a great deal of influence. McCrory certainly took advantage of the bully pulpit to successfully advocate for mass transit and used the name recog to run for governor. He became popular enough citywide to bully the wimpy Democratic majority on Council to vote with his bloc repeatedly.

[Spartan]

For what it's worth on transportation issues... Foxx is on the Council's Transportation Committee; Lassiter is not on it all. Despite the mayor being a relatively weak position, they have to be a good cheerleader for Charlotte. I think McCrory does a good job of that now, so it will be interesting to see how his replacement does.

[voyager12]

I think the latest PPP poll showing Foxx and Lassiter in a dead heat is pretty accurate. Not a habitual reader of meckdeck @ the John Locke site but their advice to Lassiter to stop being overconfident is wise. Declaring yourself the easy winner and in the lead is dangerous and could cause possible supporters to stay home because they think it will be another McCroryesque rout.

Foxx also needs to keep organizing to get all of his voters to the polls. Turnout is always crucial.

Challengers Owen Sutkowski and Darrell Bonapart were both endorsed by the Charlotte Black Political Caucus. Still an uphill battle,I think it's more possible with District 1. There are many of us in the gay community who are fed up with all the talk for years and no action on our issues from Patsy Kinsey.

[voyager12]

Just judging by yard signs, Republican City Councilman Edwin Peacock definitely has the country club vote locked up. I guess this makes sense as I believe he lives in Myers Park. I have not seen any other City Council election signs. Board of Ed has been off my radar, but Eric Davis has a lot of visibility too.

Early voting is now underway for the primary races. The Hal Marshall Center is the only voting location I think......

[voyager12]

Lassiter's primary victory was no surprise but now the stage is all set. Should be a close contest. What stood out for me was the strong showing of anti-gvt, tea party candidates, Bokhari and Ridenhour. I can see them riding a wave of Obama related discontent to victory. That side is definitely more motivated and would also benefit Lassiter. Foxx is disadvantaged on fundraising and ads which could be decisive. And given local history and voting patterns, race will undeniably play a role. I liked Georgia Belk's style but unfortunately her husbands ongoing drama was a major drag on her candidacy. I think Susan Burgess will win, she seems to have a solid base of support. Patrick Cannon's resurgence into the political scene also looks to have momentum.

[uptownliving]

I'm not too concerned about Bokhari and Ridenhour...if they want to get elected to an At Large seat then they will have to moderate their views from the typical teaparty rhetoric we have been hearing. If they were running for a Conservative District Seat...well then they would have a much better chance of getting elected in the general.

Plus keep in mind that the Republican turnout was a little skewed since they had a Primary for the Mayor...which the Democrats did not.

[InitialD]

Plus keep in mind that the Republican turnout was a little skewed since they had a Primary for the Mayor...which the Democrats did not.

[tozmervo]

^ You can count me among the unaffiliated that went to the polls specifically to vote against Davis and Stratton. I prefer my politics closer to the center, tyvm.

[southslider]

Underoak, a Merry Oaks blogger has a map showing voter turnout by precinct.

http://underoak.blogspot.com/