Canary in the Mine

May 7th, 2009 | By LDDC | Category: DemNews

updated 5.7.2009

Alexandria City election results from May 5th, with the net loss of two Democratic seats*, should serve as further warning about what Democrats need to do to if Hope and Change are to be manifest. Unfortunately so far cries to heed the faltering canary appear to be barely heard. Special election victories in 2009 that should have be won handily by Democrats were razor thin, and we suffered losses that should not have occurred.

Absentee votes do it again: for City Council, one winning Republican was 3rd in overall votes cast but first in absentee ballots. Read these comments by the 8th CD GOP Chair. The Republicans are starting to catch up with us on absentee ballots.

Turnout importance: turnout was 15.3%. If another 1% of the voters had been turned out to vote for the lowest performing Democrat, he would have had more votes than anyone. This is why having a strong election day ground team is critical.

“The Tide, She’s a-Turnin’, Starting With the Alexandria City Council”
Take heart, Republicans! I have good news to deliver from the deepest blue part of purple Virginia. Alexandria City elected one Republican and one Republican-leaning Independent to its City Council yesterday, knocking off two Democratic incumbents. Frank Fannon IV, a mortgage banker, and Alicia Hughes, a federal government employee required to run as an Indy by the Hatch Act, will add two right-of-center voices to a body owned by Democrats since 2003.

It is vital that all Democrats work hard in 2009 to make sure the progress hoped for from the historic 2008 election come true. The Republican Party is hungry to not let the Obama wave wash over all elections.

It is not enough to merely vote for your Democratic candidate. To secure that win: work, contribute, get friends and neighbors out to vote and do the same.

Remember these election results:

SLIM WIN – November 4, 2008 results: Minnesota, US Senate, Al Franken (D) 1,212,431 v. Norm Coleman (R) 1,212,206.
SLIM WIN – January 13, 2009 results: Special Election in Virginia’s 46th District (Brian Moran gave up seat to run full time for Governor). Charnielle Herring (D) 1,344 v. Joe Murray (R) 1,328. Remember that House Republicans delayed seating Del. Herring for almost 2 weeks and Republican officials said they mounted a significant absentee ballot campaign.
SLIM WIN – February 3, 2009 results: Special Election for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (former Chair Gerry Connolly elected to Virginia’s 11th Congressional District). Sharon Bulova (D) 51, 965 v. Pat Herrity (R) 50, 759.
LOSS – March 10, 2009 results: Special Election for Braddock District Supervisor (former Braddock Supervisor Sharon Bulova elected to Chair of Fairfax Board of Supervisors). Ilryong Moon (D) 6,203 v. John Cook (R ) 6,292. This seat had been Democratic for more than 25 years.
*LOSS – May 5, 2000 results: City of Alexandria elections (Mayor, City Council-6 seats, School Board-9 seats). Two Democratic incumbents defeated (Tim Lovain and Justin Wilson) by (Frank Fannon (R) and Kerry Donley (D)) – for a net loss of two Democratic seats (Democrat Ludwig Gaines retired and didn’t seek re-election; Hughes is an Independent Republican who couldn’t run as a Republican because she’s Hatched).

Special Election Push
At Del. Tim Hugo’s (R) kickoff last week Republican candidate for Governor, Bob McDonnell, specifically referenced the special elections as evidence of the Republican efforts (note that the video of the event previously available was pulled after it was referenced here on LeeDems.org in this commentary).

Work to elect Democrats or suffer the Republicans that get elected. A particular effort this year by Republicans is to pose their candidates as ‘mainstream’. John Cook (R ) elected March 10 was one such person who even at his swearing in ceremony signaled his intentions to pursue the Republican agenda that those who regrettably supported such a faux moderate assumed he would not take.