Thus begging the question: With two other heavy-hitters from the black community on the ballot in May, will Carson be able to consolidate the vote he received in March and translate it into his second electoral triumph in as many months? Or, as some have suggested, will Rep. David Orentlicher (or someone else) benefit from a fractured Democratic base and sweep in for a surprise win?
A lot of questions, many of which Brendan O'Shaughnessy attempts to address in today's Star article that focuses on the potential for a divided African American vote due to the contentious primary:
Myers and Mays confirmed they felt pressure to help settle on a single candidate but declined to do so.
"The only reason to step aside is if you think the voters should vote for someone else," Myers said.
"I think the community should have a voice (in electing their representative), not just a few select people," Mays said.
[...]
Carson said he's confident he can win again, despite the crowded field.
"African-American voters are very astute politically," he said the day after his victory in the special election. "That's OK that there are challengers. We're moving forward."
Orentlicher, at his Northwestside campaign headquarters last week, said, "It would be unfortunate if people vote strictly on identity politics. We should choose based on views, experience, work ethic and a willingness to take on hard issues."
This might also be a good time to remind everyone that the aforementioned congressional candidate Woody Myers will be dropping by next week to talk about his campaign and the issues that he believes make him the best candidate for the 7th District.
