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Time to Build New Relationships
Posted 5-21-1999
Well the results are in and to some degree it turned out as expected with me winning.
I think Tom Ceraso winning the second Democratic seat isn't a major surprise. He was
certainly a real contender from the time he got in and no one else from the north entered
the race. All along I expected to win. My goal was the 25,000 votes I got last time, in a
six-person race with two incumbents. I figured this time, with nine candidates, it would
be a challenge to get 25,000 but not impossible. It became more difficult with a 28%
turnout versus 39% the last time I ran.
The turnout was disappointing considering
there were a lot of contested local races and contested county races. I fear our county is
a hotbed of apathy. There was never any clear cut second person in control and I felt the
battle was between Tom Ceraso and Jim Gebicki. I never thought Ron Diehl's campaign caught
fire and I knew Trudy was a loser from day one. She proved one woman in a nine-person race
could still turn up a loser. The marginal candidates never had a chance. As Tom Ceraso
said, this is SERIOUS BUSINESS and you don't just throw your hat in the ring, with no
money and no organization, and win. But they were each a factor, as they all garnered
about 3,000 votes. If any one of the marginal candidates weren't in the race, the outcome
may have been different.
Unlike the other candidates, I work at this
business every day. I didn't start campaigning in January or last fall, but the day I took
office. My ability to stay visible and communicate regularly with the electorate provided
such a base that I was competitive everywhere. I knew Tom Ceraso would win in the northern
end of the county but that I'd be second. The difference between Tom, then me, and then
everyone else was really significant up there. Jim and Ron Diehl and the rest simply
couldn't cut into Ceraso without a stronger effort. I knew from four years ago running
against two incumbents that I had to do good in the north. I spent two days a week there
and I broke even with them. That election was over when those results came in. This time,
as I watched the results come in, I knew Gebicki didn't have a big enough margin to
weather the northern results. There were just enough other people in and Tom got just
enough votes in the center of the county and the southern end to win.
So where do we go from here? Tom was
certainly supported by some people who aren't my friends, but he was also supported by
many friends too. He has been friendly, polite and never really attacked me and I respect
him for that. I know he'll be pulled by the Cerilli-Paletta-Vidmer crew but I hope he's
smart enough to know that if he walks down that path now, there is no turning back. He's
young, has a bright future and should want to call things the way he sees them, not the
way they do. We will talk soon and regardless of what that crew is telling him, I can help
him the most politically and as a Commissioner.
I think Tom realizes they may have paid him
lip service but they put their eggs in the Trudy basket. They weren't running full page
ads for him at the end. It is hard to believe that she spent all that money and now is
claiming she was just in there to help him. Maybe I'd believe that from Smith or Crago,
but they weren't spending thousands of dollars and driving a truck around the county.
Although maybe she put that picture on the truck to lose on purpose. Who knows?
Politics is a funny business and old
relationships end and new ones are formed all the time. On the surface our party's winners
may look awkward but the Republicans are no better off. Scott Conner won after teaming
with Joe Weaver. So he and Mrs. Davis aren't actually best buddies either. It will be
interesting to see how the General Election shakes out. Scott has been a critic of the
status quo and Mrs. Davis its defender. She's counting on those Vidmer Democrats that
voted for Marolt to put her in and that could leave Scott out in the cold. Under normal
circumstances, if he quietly goes along with the program, he loses. They can't attack the
Democrats as running the county because it has been her mentor Terry Marolt and Vidmer
that have made the deals and appointments.
If Tom Ceraso is honest in his campaign
advertising, he wants to do the things I've been pushing for since I ran the last time.
Unless he's going to say all those things then get in office and do the exact opposite, we
may have things to work on together.
So I'll keep you informed as to how things
progress and want to thank the readers of this site for their support. But this election
is a two hurdle race so I need your help again in November!!! |
