Now it's a party
As announced by one of the worst headlines in Athens Banner-Herald history, States McCarter is pondering a run for mayor in 2006, already adding to a (potentially) crowded field. The commissioner from District 8 announced in the wee hours of the morning toward the close of a commission meeting that he would resign his seat in 2006 and pursue a position of higher authority in government ... which is code for mayor most folks agree.
With McCarter sticking his toes in the mayoral water, we now have five possible candidates in current mayor Heidi Davison, McCarter's fellow eastside commissioner Tom Chasteen, local community activist Keith Johnson, tax commissioner Nancy Denson and McCarter. And there's always the possibility that someone like former mayor Doc Eldridge, who was defeated by Davison three years ago, would decide to jump back into the mix.
Now, realistically, all five candidates won't run. I think it's safe to say that Denson will sit this one out and, if she's thinking of pursuing a different office, would do so at the state level as an Athens-Clarke County representative. If McCarter runs, it's hard to figure that Chasteen would run since that would split the eastside vote. One would probably decide to seek the mayoral post, and the other would work to build a base for the candidate. From all the indications I can gather, I feel pretty secure in saying that Davison will seek a second term. And Johnson? I don't know much about the guy, so I really can't say ... but I don't see him as a viable candidate with local heavyweights like Davison, McCarter and Chasteen all sniffing around.
I've heard rumblings from folks that the business community - that monolith which, good or bad, packs little punch in Athens-Clarke County - would possibly rally around McCarter. This a bit unusual considering McCarter is one of the leading advocates for the quality-of-life ordinances which many folks in that sector are unhappy with, but I suppose with the anti-Heidi backlash that is going on in the business sector, McCarter (or Chasteen possibly) would appear to be alternative.
As for who's got the advantage? Hard to say. McCarter is a very popular and savvy politician. I've always been most impressed in my encounters with him. Regardless of your opinions of his views and ideologies, McCarter is a tireless worker who attends damn near every event, dinner or other community function he's invited to. He was the most outspoken supporter of Interfaith Hospitality Network on the commission (save Alice Kinman who is a church coordinator and, during the CDBG process, took a more behind-the-scenes approach to helping us out) and has done much for our organization. So, despite some differences on the issues, I do like McCarter.
That said, I'm probably one of the few people whose opinion of Davison has changed for the better. I voted for Eldridge in 2002 and was underwhelmed by Davison's first year in office. She spoke at lengths about addressing poverty and affordable housing in the community, but I felt - right or wrong - that her actions didn't match her rhetoric. But, as I have gotten to know her better and observed what she has done in office, I've seen her grow more comfortable in her role as mayor. I was most impressed with her handling of the smoking ban issue where she cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the compromise and then postponed discussion on repealing said compromise until a year's time had passed and the community could analyze who effective or ineffective the partial ban was. I witnessed, in my brief interactions with her during the CDBG process, her committment to community involvement and finding solutions for poverty. Like McCarter, she has been supportive of our organization. And, as I mentioned in a letter to the editor a while back, I thought she handled the issue with Ethelyn Simpson and Kay Giese quite well (typically being alone in that opinion as I learned from my few, dedicated readers).
So it's hard to figure who I'd support. I'm a bit partial to Heidi right now to be honest, though I'm sure I've got plenty of friends from across the political spectrum who would strongly disagree with that.
With McCarter sticking his toes in the mayoral water, we now have five possible candidates in current mayor Heidi Davison, McCarter's fellow eastside commissioner Tom Chasteen, local community activist Keith Johnson, tax commissioner Nancy Denson and McCarter. And there's always the possibility that someone like former mayor Doc Eldridge, who was defeated by Davison three years ago, would decide to jump back into the mix.
Now, realistically, all five candidates won't run. I think it's safe to say that Denson will sit this one out and, if she's thinking of pursuing a different office, would do so at the state level as an Athens-Clarke County representative. If McCarter runs, it's hard to figure that Chasteen would run since that would split the eastside vote. One would probably decide to seek the mayoral post, and the other would work to build a base for the candidate. From all the indications I can gather, I feel pretty secure in saying that Davison will seek a second term. And Johnson? I don't know much about the guy, so I really can't say ... but I don't see him as a viable candidate with local heavyweights like Davison, McCarter and Chasteen all sniffing around.
I've heard rumblings from folks that the business community - that monolith which, good or bad, packs little punch in Athens-Clarke County - would possibly rally around McCarter. This a bit unusual considering McCarter is one of the leading advocates for the quality-of-life ordinances which many folks in that sector are unhappy with, but I suppose with the anti-Heidi backlash that is going on in the business sector, McCarter (or Chasteen possibly) would appear to be alternative.
As for who's got the advantage? Hard to say. McCarter is a very popular and savvy politician. I've always been most impressed in my encounters with him. Regardless of your opinions of his views and ideologies, McCarter is a tireless worker who attends damn near every event, dinner or other community function he's invited to. He was the most outspoken supporter of Interfaith Hospitality Network on the commission (save Alice Kinman who is a church coordinator and, during the CDBG process, took a more behind-the-scenes approach to helping us out) and has done much for our organization. So, despite some differences on the issues, I do like McCarter.
That said, I'm probably one of the few people whose opinion of Davison has changed for the better. I voted for Eldridge in 2002 and was underwhelmed by Davison's first year in office. She spoke at lengths about addressing poverty and affordable housing in the community, but I felt - right or wrong - that her actions didn't match her rhetoric. But, as I have gotten to know her better and observed what she has done in office, I've seen her grow more comfortable in her role as mayor. I was most impressed with her handling of the smoking ban issue where she cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the compromise and then postponed discussion on repealing said compromise until a year's time had passed and the community could analyze who effective or ineffective the partial ban was. I witnessed, in my brief interactions with her during the CDBG process, her committment to community involvement and finding solutions for poverty. Like McCarter, she has been supportive of our organization. And, as I mentioned in a letter to the editor a while back, I thought she handled the issue with Ethelyn Simpson and Kay Giese quite well (typically being alone in that opinion as I learned from my few, dedicated readers).
So it's hard to figure who I'd support. I'm a bit partial to Heidi right now to be honest, though I'm sure I've got plenty of friends from across the political spectrum who would strongly disagree with that.
posted by Jmac at 8:35 AM
6 Comments:
Good analysis. McCarter seems to be trying to move to center to capture some of the business/conservative vote. Probably a smart move -- Chasteen has moved left, but he and Heidi will have to share those votes. If no strong candidate emerges from "Old Athens"/The Chamber, States could capture some of that with his Hillary-esque move to center. Whether he is crazy or not (I think he is) he does seem to be pretty saavy.
It would be good news for the Eastside to have a mayor from over there -- that would be a big change for Athens.
Having an eastside mayor would be a fresh change of pace for Athens, seeing how downtown and the westside have controlled things for so long.
One could argue, on a different note, that Hillary actually has always been in the center ... having grown up in a Republican family and actually being a Republican until college. Much of her rhetoric as of late is quite on par with her earlier views, and she's been a very bipartisan senator who has reached out across the aisle in her time in the Senate. But, again, that's a whole different argument.
But I concur with the central analysis, that McCarter is shifting to the center on many issues ... positioning himself for a possible run.
I do think States is an incredibly involved commissioner. That said, he's too conservative for me as a mayor. Right now, I have no idea who I'd vote for. Come on, David Lynn, you can do it!
It's so funny to hear criticism of McCarter as too conservative by some and too liberal from others. Hard to know exactly what he is, except apparently good at frustrating lots of folks.
I like David Lynn as well. He's more liberal than I am on some issues, but he's got a good head on his shoulders.
Well, hell. Everyone knows I'm almost as lefty as it gets. I'm just libertarian in my lefty stylin', so States makes me crazy in several areas.
States does do a good job of keeping people confused about his politics, and is very inconsistent on issues that seem linked..... maybe that is why I have a hard time seeing him as Mayor.
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