(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
President George H.W. Bush said, “Public service is a noble calling, and we need men and women of character to believe in their communities, in their states, and in their country.”
I believe this to be true and a valid statement. It describes the selfless service needed for those individuals who embark on a journey in politics.
Over the last few weeks, I had been asked and even considered the thought of running for the seat that was vacated by the passing of Rep. Wayne Howard. However, after some deliberation and lots of prayer by myself and those around me, I chose not to run.
YET!!!
Let me be clear. The time is coming when we must be intentional on what we look to accomplish.
Our communities are facing some troubling times; however, I believe by working together, we can build a brighter future that will have significant positive impact for everyone. I also believe that this work can begin now; it does not have to wait for an election.
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For some of us, it means we keep doing the positive things we have been doing all along. All of us working together — every section of our city that can impact every section of our state, that can touch every corner of country, that can, in the end, change the world.
We have a starting point for our vision.
With lots of work and tons of faith, we can make this happen. Our positive work can then translate into success, then we can find ourselves closer to the finish line to actually create a better Augusta.
So, now it’s up to me/us to expand our horizons with vision that’s inclusive, intentional and results driven. We are in a place to hold those who are elected accountable. Certainly, one of the ways I use is to continue the service I started, and certainly will continue, with this column. A voice for the people — all the people.
With that said, all of us have an opportunity to wake up each day and work to make this world a little better than we found it. So, that’s my charge to you if you will accept it.
Ok. Now off my podium for a moment. Let me close this point by saying this, I’m sure you will be hearing from me soon enough.
Now, let’s go to an election recap for those that missed some things.
Venus Cain seemed as if she ran that race alone. With her total votes
being more than double her opponent, and 70% of the turnout. That speaks volumes for what she has accomplished in her time on the board and the confidence the community has in her.
School board incumbent and Board President Charlie Hannah will be in a runoff with local community activist the Rev. Larry Fryer. Charlie didn’t get over the 50% threshold he needed to avoid a runoff. This will be the only other race on the ticket with the Warnock race — which it seems, is headed to a runoff as well… but we will get to that.
This should be an interesting runoff because there are a few things to take into consideration for any Augusta runoff.
So, let’s look at this. The older white people are going to vote: advantage Fryer. Warnock is in a runoff: advantage Charlie. District 2 doesn’t historically vote high, anyway—advantage NO ONE. So, we will have to sit back and watch this stage get set.
MORE: Opinion: Michael Meyers remembers Wayne Howard
Brittiany Broadwater and the incumbent Charlie Walker race:
Walker was able to get out of there with a 400-vote victory margin. Broadwater was impressive in a few precincts where her numbers really exceeded expectations. By no means are we saying we shouldn’t have expected it — we just didn’t. She was a great candidate and has a bright future in front of her. I’m hearing she was getting name recognition for a District 10 run anyway.
Let me also state that Walker is a good board member, so in this case, that district is still winning.
I would talk about the Chris Johnson Tax Commissioner race, but there is nothing left to say. Someone texted me and said, “Chris gave them a ‘shellacking’ …I think I spelled that right. A 30,000 vote difference with the opponent running second. Which proves my point — people like Chris.
Now Veronica is a superb candidate and super smart. I just hope that this race doesn’t make her not want to run anymore or get involved. This community has a tendency to do that because we don’t prepare the people behind us, so the younger generation becomes discouraged and leaves it alone. That’s how we end up with people running for office in their 70s — because they don’t want to let stuff go or give others a chance. But that’s a story for another day.
The Walker vs Warnock race was tighter than a lot of people thought it would be, and definitely tighter than it should have been. Walker isn’t eligible to carry Warnock Bible. However, as so many of my Republican friends stated, “I’ll just hold my nose and vote for him.” The only reason Walker is even in the race is because the party needed a Black face to combat the Black face of Warnock.
Can anyone reading this—ANYONE—really stand up and say that you feel Walker is truly a better candidate than Warnock? Or that Walker will make a better senator than Warnock? NO. Walker was the right fit to do what the GOP wants done. Now there’s a tall hill to climb for both sides as to how this runoff will pan out.
Speaking of runoff…We have just a little over a month left before we end the era of this current administration. It seems as if the mayor has his sights set on Washington and…here I go, getting ahead of myself again.
Michael Meyers is a columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com
