Charlottesville Democrats have agreed to move to a firehouse primary, Rachana Dixit writes in the Daily Progress, which is hoped to result in significantly increased participation in their City Council nomination process. The idea is that there will be a single location on a single day where Democrats can show up, rank the candidates from their most to least favorite, and then go on with their day. Folks who can’t make it can vote absentee. And at the end of the day, the votes are tallied, and the most popular candidates will get the nod. Opponents worry that this process will be more expensive and time-consuming for candidates, while supporters hope that it will increase participation and result in stronger nominees with broader support.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Does this mean that tall of the candidates are going to have to ask each possible voter for his support by caucus day or will he have to run ads? Maybe they’ll just have a web presence.
My guess is that candidates like Linda Seaman, Peter Kleeman, and Waldo, would have done well in a primary like this one. So bring it on. Kevin Lynch’s comment about the focus changing if one is running a city-wide campaign really gets at the crux of the problem for me: candidates for city council, in the primary AND the general election, SHOULD BE running a city-wide election. Til now, the primary has been controlled tightly by party activists, not those Democrats who have little to do with party politics beyond voting on election day. (This would be most of the people in Charlottesville.) Kevin suggests the current system allows candidates to focus on policy; it seems to me they would be focusing on swaying the votes of the small number of people who are willing to sit through the long day.
City-wide primaries and elections for School Board have given us candidates and elected officials who are much more knowledgeable about school issues–and incidentally a more diverse School Board, too. I think this move could reinvigorate the Democratic Party. Perhaps we will even see a greater variety of Democrats on City Council.
Will be more impressed when there are some Council members who are not Democrats.
We have heard this line before-remember “Democrats for Change?”
End one-party control of our city government.
“My guess is that candidates like Linda Seaman, Peter Kleeman, and Waldo…” are they known by the likely voters?
I believe that Edwards and Norris were members of Dems for Change and they have successfully ascended to office. I believe that the Szakoses were also members.
I was a member.
If I remember correctly, there were over 200 members.