Washblog

Disappointment in the 47th Legislative District

By noemie maxwell
Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 02:45:49 AM PST
Section: Diary Topic: Election news/info

There were tears after the 47th Legislative District Democrats meeting tonight.  

This was our meeting to endorse candidates for the 2006 primary election. There was some debate over Cantwell and a couple of votes against endorsement for her. A few people, including me, abstained.   But the ayes had it, easy. No Washbloggian torments there tonight.  

One race, however, was seriously contested. This is the State Senate race, in which Claudia Kauffman and Ed Crawford are running.   I am a member of the endorsement committee in the 47th. Our committee had recommended a dual endorsement for this race.

Bryan Kesterson, the District Chair, presented that recommendation to the forty-eight voting members who were present. Then we debated.   We debated for nearly two hours.   A complicated set of motions went back and forth with amendments and counter-amendments. Many passionate speeches were given. I didn't talk; I listened, learned, and voted.  When it was over, we had a sole endorsement for Ed. [correction 6/9 -- a single endorsement. Thanks to Gordon Glasgow in comments.]

A candidate in a contested race who wins a sole endorsement has a much higher likelihood of a win in the general election. The unendorsed candidate is left without the benefit of the District's money, volunteer help, or public blessing. It is a disappointing outcome for the person who does not win. Tonight, when the results of the vote were announced, there was heavy silence in the room, as if we were all holding our breaths.

Claudia Kauffman is qualified for this position. She has been running for months.   She is experienced, capable, hard-working, and engaging. Many people have invested time, energy, and money in her campaign. Her presence in the race has been energizing for the district. Color is also an issue here, Claudia being of Native American heritage. I am not alone in the 47th in my preference, all other things being equal, for a candidate of color. The 47th is a culturally diverse community with representation that is not diverse. For all these reasons, and because Claudia's stands on political issues are very close to mine, I donated to her campaign as generously as I could and endorsed her early on. Tonight, I walked into that room with the intention of voting for a dual endorsement.

But I voted for Ed. Over the last two months, I had come to believe that Ed is a better choice for us here in the 47th this year. Despite that feeling I had still intended to vote for a dual endorsement, which I felt was necessary to uphold party and cross-cultural unity. But as I listened to my neighbors' speeches pro and con - and considered them in light of all my experiences in the past years and months -- my understanding of unity began to change. My feelings underwent a shift. We will have our unity, I realized. We have it already. In a race where the stakes for the community are high -- in which a sole endorsement will give Democrats a better chance to win in November, our district organization, our democracy, and our relationships across color and culture, are strong enough for me to be able to vote on my understanding of the merits. I can trust the people in that room, including the candidates and their supporters. I can trust the community. I can trust the democratic process.

I am proud of the two candidates who have served so competently and with such caring that they are worthy to be our Senators.  I am proud that these two people from my community took the personal risk to put themselves on the line for us, to offer themselves for public service in full knowledge of all the hard work and risks that lie ahead. I am proud of the members of our district who sat in a room from 7pm to 10pm to speak with each other, to listen patiently and respectfully to each other, and to think and act with great care in a difficult situation. I am delighted with democracy itself, which so beautifully unfolded in front of us tonight.


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Disappointment in the 47th Legislative District | 15 comments (15 topical)
Another great post. Tip jar?
Gaining the senate seat in your district has great importance state wide. At the convention I had the chance to talk with some on your endorsement committee and though you have two good candidates and making a sole endorsement in such a situation can be a major setback for a district, my hope was that your voting members would take the action they did, while respecting those not on the prevailing side.
As it relates to the campaign, the winning candidate must work hard every day, make no errors and raise a huge amount of money. On the financial side, this means he or she must get major contributors to give the max both prior to the primary and after. Such is the game with our states model for campaign reform. Thus a dual endorsement would have assured both candidates would have raised less money. This is something neither could afford.
As it relates to your districts future in this very important year, well done. The voters of the 47th have come to respect your district organization as it began to change from an R dist to a D district and from the sound of things, you deserve that respect. Oh and by the way, I think as stewards of your district, the endorsement committee's recommending of a dual endorsement was a good thing to do.

by Particle Man on Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 09:10:01 AM PST

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Remarkable meeting
Thanks,

It was a remarkable meeting.  It is not often, I think, that people listen so carefully to each other in a public forum - and really think things through in light of the knowledge and opinion of others.

We had a person speak last night who was a candidates in a similar situation in the 47th -- who received a dual endorsement in 2000, and lost in the general by 189 votes.  People who had taken part in that endorsement process spoke up.  We had people from the boards of endorsement committees of community organizations -- a labor union, a conservation group, and a professional group -- speaking pro and con about what the ramifications of this process are.  There were passionate advocates for each candidate who spoke on their individual merits.  There were testimonials about what the presence of a person of color in this race means for people in the district.  Shy people got up to speak, firebrand orators got up to speak.  Collective intelligence was at work.  Good faith reigned.  

by noemie maxwell on Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 09:53:12 AM PST

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A VERY Thoughtful Post!
Noemie, thank you for describing the 47th LD's endorsement meeting.  Special thanks for writing up your thoughts and feelings on the endorsement, and the state of unity the 47th District Dems.  

Extra-special thanks for talking about the exquisite, delicate phenomenon that is local party unity.  The important insight I take away from your description is that when built carefully and constructively, local party unity can be quite strong, affirming and empowering.

Keep up the great work!

by microveldt on Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 05:47:18 PM PST

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Perhaps Bittersweet is a better word?
Noemie, you have captured in writing many of the same feelings I had sitting in the room with you on Weds. night.  I came to the same conclusion that a vote to endorse Ed was our wisest move and the most effective thing we could have done to further the cause of winning our 47th senate seat.

This was, in my mind, the most important series of votes we've ever taken as an organization.  Usually our endorsement carries little or no weight.  But our endorsement in this race has the potential to move mountains - of support and money.  Now it is up to us to publicize our vote and maximize its effectiveness.

I woke up Thursday feeling positive and optimistic.  Sorry, yes, for Claudia, because I personally like her.  I hope we haven't seen the last of her.  And as everyone said, should she prevail in the primary, I will work for her enthusiastically.  But I am excited as well, because we actually DID something that is likely to make an impact.

Bittersweet still doesn't seem like the right word, but closer to how I feel than "disappointed".

by Dennis Higgins on Fri Jun 09, 2006 at 07:50:30 AM PST

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