City Democrats chose Satyendra Huja, Holly Edwards and Mayor David Brown as their nominees for Council, Bob Gibson writes in today’s Progress. The really surprising thing was how the numbers came in: Huja received 304 votes, Edwards 279, and Brown 261. Linda Seaman and Jennifer McKeever came in with 188 and 149, respectively.
Huja as top voter getter is particularly surprising because he has absolutely no history with the local Democratic Party which, I think, speaks very well of those who showed up to vote. Traditionally, the party wouldn’t give the time of day to a candidate who hadn’t “paid their dues.” I have to speculate that he was the first choice of few, but second or third choice for an enormous number of people, which paid off handsomely. This remarkably diverse ticket will make a formidable team for the general election, although it looks like local Republicans can’t even muster a single candidate to go up against them. If they’re not going to field candidates, maybe it’s time to give a thirty party a default place on the ticket (the Green Party?) and make Republicans gather signatures on a petition in order to secure a place on the ballot. Peter Kleeman, who is basically a Green, has secured enough signatures to appear on the ballot, so this may well just be a four-person race.
“Huja as top voter getter is particularly surprising because he has absolutely no history with the local Democratic Party”
I guess you could say that if you were covering the event from India and don’t follow local politics except as a Dem-booster. I didn’t see Waldo there but there were a lot of people there who’ve known Huja for decades.
“The attendees comprised mainly those with a financial interest, such as city employees and non-profits to whom Council allocates funding, and long-time city officials, former councilors and mayors, whose legacy is tied to Huja’s implementation of their vision.”
Full, less-biased coverage:
Democrats nominate Huja, Edwards, Brown: challengers Seaman, McKeever to remain active
Cvillenative, I think Waldo is well aware of Huja history but it is surprising that he was the top vote getter. I would have thought Huja leaned Dem simply based on the reality of his surroundings and his beliefs about local government controlling development (the Omni, downtown mall, and other subsidized areas).
I am most curious on how the nominated view the Meadowcreek Parkway.
In fact, I covered the event from the Outer Banks for North Carolina, where I’m spending the week. But the fact remains that Huja has no history with local Democrats. The question I heard asked over and over again was whether he is, in fact, a Democrat. That he would be the #1 vote getter tells me that a) Dems are finally willing to look at something other than the Meadowcreek Parkway and b) that Dems may are moving past the “you have to pay your dues” mentality and looking at, quite simply, who they perceive to be the best candidate. It’s about time.
I think Mr. Huja would like to see a statue of himself on the Downtown Mall.
Since then I understand someone named Barbara Haskins has entered the race, a psychiatrist. Have never heard of her.
The only Dem that appealed to me was McKeever. She might have brought new blood.
For the first time I wished I lived in the county. Thats why the exciting races are, especially for Commonwealth’s Attorney. Can Denise Lunsford pull it off? Or will Camblos go all out to bring her down? I have a feeling hwe would not hesitate to play rough.
How did that insipid twit Brown get nominated again?
He probably tunes up the backs for a lot of the A-list folks. What kind of weird profession is that anyway? Kneading that abundence of flesh like so much bread dough? Oooh!
I suspect the Dems selected Mr. Huja because he’s the man responsible for the Downtown Mall being what it is today. As I understand it, he came up with the idea, and he implemented it.
Someone who is creative, and has a long-term vision for what Charlottesville could become — and can make it happen — would be a happy addition to City Council.
Firstly, I claim that the course by which the Downtown Mall came to be was by no means as simple as “Huja had brainstorm, then built it” and my guess is that Mr. Huja would agree.
Secondly, if we agree that Mr. Huja bears a great deal of responsibility for the existence of the D. M., this is not to agree that he deserves -credit- for the same.
You guys that think Charlottesville is the center of the universe give Mr. Huja too much credit. Let’s see…he’s always been a world traveler to many cities around the globe. Hmmm…I wonder if he ever saw a downtown pedestrian mall in another city and then came home and implimented the very same idea in C’ville? Is that plausable? I think yes!
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I don’t think that Mr. Jefferson invented the rotunda, nor do I think that Coran Capshaw invented the tented amphitheater. Nevertheless, I admire those who have brought such interesting elements of architecture and urban planning to Charlottesville.
Mr. Huja isn’t credited by me or anyone else with having invented the pedestrian agora. The point is that he was a pivotal player in creating one here in Charlottesville.
A group of UVa students at the architecture school proposed creating a pedestrian mall downtown in 1958. I’ve got a copy of the article from The Daily Progress at home that I made from the microfilm archives in the public library. Its an idea that was popular in a lot of places but only succeeded in a few, Charlottesville being one. It did take a long time too.
Walter Fowler, the owner of the building that was taken by the government and then torn down to make way for the parking lot that eventually became the location of the ice park wanted to build an enclosed mall above the street that is now the Downtown Mall and then keep the street open but under the building.
Thanks for clearing that up K.C. My assumption stands corrected.