Whenever I endorse a candidate on either the Room Eight New York Politics, or on the Daily Gotham blog-sites, what I am saying is simply that if I had a vote in that race, this is how my vote will go. At no point am I predicting that the person I am endorsing is going to win the race -unless I so specify. In actuality, there are many times I feel strongly that my endorsed candidate will lose the race. I even said so in one of my recent endorsement columns (see comments-section also) regarding one candidate (Nelson Denis).
Thus, it was a bit frustrating (after I did my last two endorsement columns) for me to field a bunch of
e-mails, phone calls, text and verbal messages, plus subtle warnings from various individuals: including electeds, their minions, staffers, operatives and the like. In fact, I had intended to write a follow up column explaining at length, the reasoning behind my endorsements: but alas, I did not. I hated all the bitching that was coming my way, and I felt another column would only exacerbate the situation. And you all know that I am a non-controversial kinda guy. Right?
So how did I do? Nine of my endorsed candidates won and seven lost. I endorsed Miranda over Aubry, even though I confessed to one of his operatives that I felt strongly that the incumbent would win that one. I also called Nunes over Huntley even though my sources in the district told me for months, that the same-sex marriage issue will keep her in office: in this district of a zillion aged church-going black voters. I told you guys Charlie Rangel would win but I refused to endorse him. I also called Bill Perkins, Roberto Rodriguez, Francisco Moya, Geraldo Rivera, Inez Barron (district leader), Joanne Simon, Chris Owens, Ed Towns and Darlene Mealy. Most of the other candidates I endorsed lost handily; except for Cory Provost who lost his maiden race by only three hundred-odd votes: a very good showing.
In two district leader races in Brooklyn where I didn't endorse a candidate (57AD and 42AD), the results were close (as I expected). In the 57th AD, the incumbent Olanike “Ola” Alabi defeated Renee Collymore in a close race. In this race there were claims of a blackmail attempt to drive Ms. Collymore out of the race. Rumor had it that there were sex tapes of the young lady ready to be circulated district-wide if she didn't play ball. She went to the police instead and ran a strong race despite all this. Why isn't mainstream media on this one?
In the 42nd AD they are still counting the ballots: it is that close. I have been told that about 100 votes separate the two candidates (Rodneyse Bichotte and Natasha Holiday); and that there are about 400 paper ballots still to be counted. Ms. Bichotte is in the lead but it is no sure thing that it will stay that way. The big issue here is this: was the Brooklyn Democrats county leader (Vito Lopez) behind the removal of his deputy county leader (Mary Hobson) from the ballot? The Holiday camp claims that their opponent (the Haitian-American political activist Ms. Bichotte) is in reality a clandestine Vito Lopez candidate, who did his dirty work by knocking off the district leader Mary Hobson in a strange and rare court challenge to her petitions. If this is true, then this is really intriguing folks, and I am sure that there will be repercussions: watch. The question is this: what did Vito know and when did he know it? LATEST UPDATE: As of Saturday 18th September,2010, the unofficial re-count stands as follows: Bichotte 1977 and Holiday 1752. NYC Council-member Jumannee Williams and attorney Aaron Maslow both claim that it is mathematically impossible for Ms Holiday to win:given the limited number of ballots that remain for counting. They both assure me that by next week, Ms. Bichotte will be certified the winner by NYCBOE. If this happens then Ms. Bichotte will become the Dems first Haitian-American District Leader in Brooklyn's history.
In the 40th AD, it appears that the Ken Evans camp was infiltrated by a woman who it is claimed is one of Andre Mitchell's many "baby-mamas". Mitchell is a protege of both Charles and Inez Barron. He is still a close associate of the Barrons. He has run for the male district leader spot three elections in a row -only to lose to Earl Williams every time. He has run on the same ticket with either Charles or Inez each time. Word is that Andre has fathered quite a few kids (out-of-wedlock) in this district over the years. I am told that the woman made some serious scurrilous charges against the candidate challenging Inez for the assembly seat. I am also told that the police were called in and that Evans was arrested. What is even more intriguing was the claim that a certain preacher in the district offered to make all the charges "disappear" if Evans paid up a certain sum of money. If this is all true, then the mainstream media needs to get to the bottom of it.
I am going to say this unequivocally: this is not Charles Barron's style of doing things. I will put my head on a block that if this was some sort of conspiracy to destroy the candidacy of Ken Evans, then Charles and Inez had nothing to do with this. Well……….. I am talking about the Barrons I knew for years.
My old boss Darlene Mealy handily turned back a challenge from Latrice Walker. I am told Ms. Walker was backed by many electeds (Yvette Clarke, Charles Barron, Hakeem Jeffries and others). I am told that Tish James was the campaign manager for Ms. Walker: I don't know how true this is. I endorsed Ms. Mealy and hopefully my endorsement was worth the margin of victory (lol) of over five hundred votes.
When I did my column challenging the editors of the Post, Times and Daily News to get involved and cover more local races, I was accused by two candidates of doing the same thing: deliberately ignoring certain races. Truth is this: I don't have adequate resources to comprehensively cover all the races out there. I do this on my own volition. I can hardly negotiate Brooklyn far less the other four boroughs. Often times people refuse to return my calls seeking information. To most electeds I am a pariah. They will hardly ever give me scoops or pertinent information for my columns here. This is a lonely road to travel: some of you need to remember that before you start criticizing me again.
Stay tuned-in folks.