A leisurely holiday week (is there really such a thing?) gives political pundits and junkies plenty of time to speculate about an election six months to a year away.
Having spent four years in a Charleston city administration, I think it’s fascinating to see how much things have changed in 20 years.
There was a time, believe it or not, when there were two living, breathing political parties in Charleston.
In fact, through the administration of the late GOP Mayor Kent Strange Hall, one was as likely to encounter Republicans in city offices as Democrats.
Democrats G. Kemp Melton and Jay Goldman changed all that before Danny Jones became the city’s power base and brought the GOP back to the mayor’s office.
But I would argue that Jones was a unique figure whose political party registration made little difference to anyone. Including him.
Jones would have set the mayoral longevity record no matter what party he chose. It just seemed natural for Jones to be Charleston’s Mayor.
It’s amazing to me that Jones retired just a term ago, was replaced by Democrat Amy Shuler Goodwin and now there’s no viable GOP candidate or party organization to challenge her re-election.
Perhaps the most logical Republican candidate would be attorney J.B. Akers, who lost to Goodwin last time. But friends say he will devote his late winter and spring to getting his wife, Maryclaire Akers, elected to her Kanawha Circuit Judge position.
Anyway, I’m a longtime friend and fan of all the Goodwins, so I’m not personally trying to find a candidate to run for Mayor. I’m just fascinated at how we got to virtual one-party rule so quickly.
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Incidentally, Goodwin announced the “reason I was smiling from ear-to-ear all weekend” to interested reporters.
“It” was the Mayor’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the city a $1.75 million RAISE (Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure for Sustainability and Equity) Grant to get a transformational infrastructure project shovel-ready.
The city, in partnership with the WV Department of Transportation, will use the RAISE Grant for the Charleston Capital Connector Project.
According to Goodwin, this project will be designed to transform the Kanawha Boulevard corridor along the riverfront, and better connect the Greenbrier Street gateway to the community.
Not a bad project to tout as Goodwin runs for a second term next year. And it had widespread bipartisan support.
For Charlestonians’ information, “bipartisan” means TWO political parties helped get the grant. That suggests there MIGHT be a Republican party somewhere near the capital city.
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Details about the Charleston RAISE project can be found elsewhere at LOOTPRESS.com.
I mentioned yesterday that Kanawha Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers has nearly $63,000 on hand for her campaign next year.
Akers was appointed to the judge position upon the death of the late Charlie King. His term would not have expired until 2024 but she must run next year for the right to complete the unexpired term.
Another Kanawha Judge, Kenneth Ballard, lists slightly more than $60,000 on hand. Ballard is the longtime Family Court Judge who was appointed when Judge Tod Kaufman retired. He must face voters in 2022 to continue serving as well.
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Cabell County Democrat Delegate Chad Lovejoy listed $10,800 on hand for his re-election campaign.