Realizing all politics is local I nonetheless want to start off with Gavin Newsom’s landslide victory in the California recall election where Republicans attempted for the sixth time to recall the governor. Newsom beat conservative radio host Larry Elder by over 65% but that won’t stop Republicans from trying again in the future — hopefully with the same result.
Closer to home, Dennis Kucinch might have gotten the message that his political career is over, but somehow I doubt that. His third-place finish behind Kevin Kelly and Justin Bibb is a clear signal from voters that the perennial candidate’s message is not getting through to the electorate.
But even closer to home, Ward 7 is one of the few wards where there was a contested race. In the majority of wards the incumbent usually wins the primary by a landslide and then goes on to the victory in the general election. Not so in Ward 7, where the primary race for the seat Basheer Jones vacated to run unsuccessfully in the mayoral primary is hotly contested, largely due to the presence of the former councilman TJ Dow in the race. The much-maligned former councilman, who was one of the top two finishers in the crowded primary along with current state representative Stephanie Howse, has earned every bit of the opprobrium tossed in his direction.
As he was leaving office after being beaten by Jones four years ago, he attempted to give over $700,000 of ward block money to now-convicted Ward 4 councilman Ken Johnson. I could go on and on cataloging Dow’s misdeeds, but it’s clear that Stephanie Howse is the better choice in this contest.
One Response to “MANSFIELD: Stephanie Howse for Ward 7”
Kevin Cronin
mansfield, as you know I am on the other side of ward 7 and was pleased to cast my vote for Ms. Howse. Dow left trying to feather his own nest with $700,000 of taxpayer money, left with Jones so he could funnel to Dow. Someone showing that sort of deplorable conduct shouldn’t be anywhere near City Hall.