Metro Councilman Byron Sharper says he will run for re-election. Sharper says he will continue to make District 7 “a better place to live, work, play and pray.” He was charged with simple battery earlier this spring after reportedly trying to kiss an 18-year-old woman....

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/2008/jul/01/565/

Good Day Bobby Jindal:

Speaking of the 7th district, it looks as though there are 4 African American candidates announced. What is the breakdown for this district? Looks like a white candidate might have a shot if the black vote gets split amongst 4 candidates.

Thoughts?

Venice - 02 July 2008 09:19 AM

Good Day Bobby Jindal:

Speaking of the 7th district, it looks as though there are 4 African American candidates announced. What is the breakdown for this district? Looks like a white candidate might have a shot if the black vote gets split amongst 4 candidates.

Thoughts?

Obviously I don’t like Sharper, so I hope at least one of the candidates comes on with credibility and strength.  Suchitra Dyer has some big signs in strategic spots already.  Would this be a race for Ashley Casey to jump in at a more usual beginning level?  Yes, it would be worth a try, which would mean a physically demanding door-to-door to church to civic club schedule ... much tougher than chasing the soccer mom/internet savvy crowd.  If I were a white candidate in that district, I’d make an issue over all this trouble the city has taken to tame the traffic on mostly white hoity-toity Glenmore with traffic bumps and bikeways, 4-way stops and little plastic paddles, while the connecting street, mostly black Bawell is practically a free-for-all speedway with lots more pedestrians and kids on bicycles.  That’s not right.

Venice - 02 July 2008 09:19 AM

Good Day Bobby Jindal:

Speaking of the 7th district, it looks as though there are 4 African American candidates announced. What is the breakdown for this district? Looks like a white candidate might have a shot if the black vote gets split amongst 4 candidates.

Thoughts?

The 7th is 91.69% black.

http://www.brgov.com/dept/council/map.asp

Venice - 02 July 2008 09:19 AM

Good Day Bobby Jindal:

Speaking of the 7th district, it looks as though there are 4 African American candidates announced. What is the breakdown for this district? Looks like a white candidate might have a shot if the black vote gets split amongst 4 candidates.

Thoughts?

I am in the 7th district and for a while I thought about running, but then I broke down the district and realized that there is no way a white, conservative female could win.

For council races, do the candidates have to go through the same party primary that everyone else has to go through now, or do they just have one election?

MsBoJangles - 02 July 2008 09:59 AM

For council races, do the candidates have to go through the same party primary that everyone else has to go through now, or do they just have one election?

Unless they’ve changed it within the last couple of years, to my knowledge there are no party primaries for council races. It’s one ballot, if no one gets a majority top two vote getters square off in ruonff regardless of party.

MsBoJangles - 02 July 2008 09:58 AM

I am in the 7th district and for a while I thought about running, but then I broke down the district and realized that there is no way a white, conservative female could win.

It’s definitely a hurdle, higher than the one Mrs. Tassin faces, but the neighborhood concerns are about crime, safety, economic development, many issues which can be considered conservative.  A candidate with some background in helping battered women and sexual abuse victims might get some attention too.

Bobby Jindal - 02 July 2008 10:18 AM

MsBoJangles - 02 July 2008 09:58 AM

I am in the 7th district and for a while I thought about running, but then I broke down the district and realized that there is no way a white, conservative female could win.

It’s definitely a hurdle, higher than the one Mrs. Tassin faces, but the neighborhood concerns are about crime, safety, economic development, many issues which can be considered conservative.  A candidate with some background in helping battered women and sexual abuse victims might get some attention too.

Tassin faces a hurdle with her district being slightly majority black. A white candidate in the 7th faces more like a wall.

But MJT should have no trouble being re-elected.

Charlie Buras - 02 July 2008 09:45 AM

Venice - 02 July 2008 09:19 AM

Good Day Bobby Jindal:

Speaking of the 7th district, it looks as though there are 4 African American candidates announced. What is the breakdown for this district? Looks like a white candidate might have a shot if the black vote gets split amongst 4 candidates.

Thoughts?

The 7th is 91.69% black.

http://www.brgov.com/dept/council/map.asp

That is impossible for a white candidate.

Charlie Buras - 02 July 2008 10:20 AM

Tassin faces a hurdle with her district being slightly majority black. A white candidate in the 7th faces more like a wall.

That’s true.  A conservative white lady populist pole-vaulter, she’ll get my vote just on the uniqueness principle.  If there is such a principle.