[WardFive] My Personal Take on the Ward 5 Special Election

Good Day Ward 5:

 

In the "for what it's worth" category, the following is my take on Tuesday's special election.  This is my personal endorsement and should not be taken as the endorsement of ANC 5C, my Single Member District ANC 5C01, or the Bates Area Civic Association on which I serve as a board member.  This is simply how I see the race based on my personal observations and experience.  I applaud all of the candidates on what has been for the most part a clean and decent campaign.  I believe that the way our candidates have conducted themselves, with civility and respect for one another, has laid the foundation for the healing and unification of the ward which must take place after May 15th.     

 

Good luck to all, but here's my two cents worth:

 

On May 15, 2012, we, the residents of Ward 5, face a critical crossroads in the evolution of our ward and, on a larger scale, of our city.  I have been approached by several of the candidates in the upcoming Special Election seeking my support and I have been asked by a number of neighbors and friends across the ward who I would endorse.  I=ve struggled with that question and have delayed a decision for two main reasons, as elaborated here.

 

First, over the last two months, I have been serving as moderator of the Coalition for Voter Empowerment (COVE) Ward 5 Special Election Candidate Forums.  The COVE, for those who may be unfamiliar with it, is a coalition of six civic associations representing the neighborhoods in Ward 5 situated west of the railroad tracks, or basically, the area covered by Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C.  It was organized several years ago in an attempt to bring some focus and attention to the particular issues most pertinent to the residents of the western neighborhoods of the ward, residents who were historically undervalued in Ward Five=s political discourse.  In that role, it was my responsibility to ask a series of probing questions to each of the twelve candidates who responded to the COVE invitation.  Each of the candidates was questioned on the same four broad areas of interest with the idea being that after all candidates had appeared in the forums, their answers could be aligned, side by side, to give voters a clear comparison of where each stood on the issues.  To insure the integrity of that process, I felt it was important that I maintain both the appearance and the reality of neutrality.

 

My second reason was more personal.  I wanted to give each candidate an equal opportunity to tell me why he or she is best suited to represent our ward on the City Council.  Given the obvious disparities between the various campaign organizations in terms of human resources and financial support, I intentionally avoided the many meet and greet and campaign rally events, choosing instead to simply evaluate the candidates based on their records of service and their demeanor and responses at the weekly COVE forums.  What I discovered over the last two months is that contrary to popular belief, we actually have a very impressive field of candidates from which to choose.  There are several who I am persuaded offer the integrity, work ethic and pertinent experience we should look for in our next council representative.  Shelly Gardner, Kathy Henderson and Tim Day all bring an energetic passion to the fore which, coupled with their own individual records of accomplishment in their various endeavors, would certainly elevate Ward 5's profile in city politics.  Rae Zapata and Drew Hubbard both bring impressive credentials in terms of their local government expertise and records of service, Ms. Zapata=s record in particular spanning many, many years.  John Cheeks and Ruth Marshall impressed me as honest, hard-working individuals who would put the interests of the ward ahead of their own.  The same can be said of Frank Wilds, a positive spirit with decades of civic involvement and proven dedication to his community.  Kenyan McDuffie and Delano Hunter represent the best of the next generation of leadership.  Both are third generation Washingtonians who, based on their education and training, could have opted to pursue lucrative careers elsewhere.  Yet they have chosen to bring their talents and energy to bear on the challenges which face their hometown and by so doing, have earned broad support for their campaign efforts. 

 

Indeed we do have a fine field of candidates in the upcoming Ward 5 Special Election.  The reality, however, is that we can each only vote for one.  So now that the COVE forums are over, and after having considered all of the options, I have decided that I will be casting my one vote for Ron Magnus.  Mr. Magnus is the candidate who best encapsulates the full package of passion, local government experience, integrity, dedication to the community, and energy needed to assume the mantle of leadership in representing  Ward 5 on the City Council.  I=ve known Ron for more than 25 years during which time he has proven himself to be a person of integrity, committed to serving the citizens of the District of Columbia.  He=s well known as a distinguished attorney, an active member of the Ward 5 Democratic Party and an elected delegate to several Democratic Presidential Conventions.  His educational credentials, his work history as a lawyer and as a civil servant, and his record of service to his church, the New Bethel Baptist Church (formerly pastored by former Congressman, the Rev. Walter Fauntroy) are unsurpassed by any other candidate in the field.  Add to that the fact that he has been a long-time supporter of D.C. Statehood, an issue that is near and dear to my own heart.  But what sets Ron apart in my mind is that I=ve seen him over the years face triumph and disaster and, in the words of the poet Rudyard Kipling, Atreat those two imposters both the same.@  I=ve seen him compete against numerous opponents in various political contests but I=ve never heard him disparage an opponent or stoop to personal attacks on an opponent=s character.  He has a calm demeanor that reveals itself as humility in victory and cheerful optimism even in defeat.  That demeanor and sense of quiet self-confidence is an asset that will serve him well on the City Council.  

 

In conclusion, let me say one more time that we have an impressive slate of dedicated individuals from whom to choose on May 15^th.  Whoever wins the special election, I have no doubt, will represent us with distinction at City Hall.  When the race is over, we should and we must rally behind that person and work collectively to heal the divisions in our ward.  But as you search your own conscience to decide how you will vote, consider this.  Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that Athe true measure of a man is not where he stands at a time of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.@  One thing we know for sure is that for Ward 5 in particular, and for D.C. in general, there are times of challenge and controversy ahead.  When those times arise, I know where my friend Ron will stand.  That=s why I will be voting for Ron Magnus for the Ward 5 seat on the Council of the District of Columbia and I urge you to join me in that choice. 

 

Bradley A. Thomas

Ward 5-Bates Area Resident

Commissioner ANC 5C01

 

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