C.J. Pearson garnered several endorsements from well known individuals in his run for State House. The problem is that none of them were local, while most local officials endorsed Gary Richardson. Endorsements matter, but what matters even more is having the right ones.
Everyone agrees that C.J. has a bright future in politics; so did Wright McLeod, Lee Muns, Lee Benedict and Greg Grzybowski.
What do those last four men have in common? They all lost twice, and their prospects of winning in the future are lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.
The conventional rule of thumb is that if you lose twice, then you are done. A second loss by C.J. could hamper his ability to win a race down the road, which is why he was wise to withdraw.
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The race was odd to start. The candidates had to qualify for the remainder of Barry Fleming’s term and for the May 21 race. Richardson and Pearson had to qualify for both races, assuming they would win the first. Backing out now shows that C.J. respects the will of the voters, and he is going to move toward unification. Pearson will win points with voters by bowing out gracefully.
There will be other offices that Pearson can campaign for and win. I believe that if Congressman Rick Allen retires, Pearson could jump in and run an aggressive campaign and be competitive for that seat. That race is likely to garner multiple challengers, but Pearson’s knowledge on national issues would give him an advantage. Pearson also has a national platform that enables him to raise a lot of money and get his message out easily.
At least Pearson wouldn’t have to fight a residency battle in a congressional race. He would be tough to beat if he starts laying the groundwork now to win that congressional seat.
