Lynchburg Voters League endorses candidates
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
By Alicia Petska
Published: April 10, 2008
Endorsements from the Lynchburg Voters League have gone to City Council candidates Mike Gillette (Ward I), Ceasor Johnson (Ward II), Nat Marshall (Ward III) and Marie Waller (Ward IV).
The group announced its decisions Thursday following a 90-minute forum with the office hopefuls. President Sherry Williams said they looked for candidates who were committed to supporting public schools and combating crime.
Members also wanted someone they felt could empathize with their lives, she said.
“They wanted someone a little more down-to-earth, someone who’s walked in their shoes and been out in the working community,” she said.
The Lynchburg Voters League is an advocacy and mobilization group that operates primarily in Ward II, which includes the inner city. Their endorsements exactly mirror those made by Lynchburg Democrats last month.
Of the nine people running for City Council, eight participated in Thursday’s forum.
Ward III incumbent Jeff Helgeson, a Republican candidate for office, said he was unable to attend due to a prior commitment to the local party. He wrote the group a letter that both explained his absence and addressed some of his primary campaign issues.
The voters league event, which was open to the public and drew around 50 people, marked the first forum of this City Council election.
Candidates were asked a combination of league-written and audience-submitted questions that addressed issues ranging from crime prevention to schools to senior citizens.
The final two questions came from moderator McKinley Marshall, chairman of the league’s political action committee.
As the forum drew to a close, he asked for all candidates who knew where Main Street, Church Street and Jefferson Street were to raise their hands. All did.
He then asked for the same sign from all those who knew where places such as Flint Street and Peyton Street were. A few tentative hands went up halfway. Most stayed put.
Marshall said afterward he posed the questions to highlight the fact the candidates don’t know the more troubled parts of Ward II.
Williams said she found it to be the most surprising part of the evening.
“Maybe they need to get out a little bit more to our inner city streets,” she said.
Click here for more 2008 Lynchburg City Council elections coverage
Page 1 of 1
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Martha ) on April 11, 2008 at 6:04 am
A letter was read by McKinley Marshall as to why Jeff Helgeson didn’t attend the forum. His reason was that he had to attend a Republican Party Caucus to select delegates to the State Convention.
I don’t know for a fact how the Republicans caucus but I do know that he more than likely had to pre-file, submit his ballot and then the group gathered at the caucus votes on who they want as their delegates. Jeff, being a council member and leader in the Party was probably a shoo-in. He could have attended,voted, left and come to the Voter’s League forum.
His excuse for not attending is very weak!
The article also does NOT point out that a question was asked about school board selection. It’s too bad Jeff wasn’t there to answer THAT question since he was one of the MAIN people who decided to nominate Darin Gerdes and then voted to remove vice-chair Tom Webb. That was a despicable act and for that reason alone ( not counting the many others) he should not be re-elected.
Report Inappropriate Comment