By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 10:58 PM
State Senate candidate Derio Gambaro won the endorsement of the 8th Ward Democratic club tonight. Sources tell PUB DEF the former State Rep received 27 votes. The next closest candidate was Jeff Smith with eight. Labels: State_Senate
Smith had better luck in the 28th Ward where he beat out Gambaro with 29 votes. Gambaro tied with Yaphett El-Amin with six votes each.
20 Comments:
No surprise on the 8th Ward vote, since the audience was stacked with questioners to needle Jeff Smith on moot points.
6/16/2006 12:20 AM
Oh, and I'm glad to see that north city residents can see beyond the divisive tactics of two candidates to support a candidate for unity, Jeff Smith.
6/16/2006 12:26 AM
In both wards, what happened to support for Amber Boykins? Both are integrated wards (although I wonder which of two separate 8th Ward organizations this is).
Gambaro finding 27 supporters anywhere in the 8th Ward (much less in single half-ward organization) is stunning. Since Derio's conservatism is unlikely to be popular in the 8th (primarily the Shaw neighborhood), I suspect cops came out in force.
Smith's big win in the 28th is a significant boost.
The election will be determined by who is motivated to vote and who isn't. I'm expecting a low turnout.
6/16/2006 12:53 AM
Oracle you are wise as always. I too am trying to sort out the 8th Ward mystery vote to endorse Gambaro. The real coup is Jeff's winning the 28th Ward. I know that has to sting the other candidates. It just shows how hard and smart Jeff is working to win this primary.
6/16/2006 7:34 AM
Oracle, I usually think you've got a good read on the state of things, but in this case, I don't think it was the cops that made the difference at last night's 8th Ward meeting. The voters were all regulars who have been at meetings consistently since at least January--a fair number of seniors and 8th ward stalwarts, along with a much smaller number of younger folks. Not that some of those 8th ward members can't be cops, but they didn't just show up for the last meeting or two to ensure they were eligible to vote. The low vote for Amber was surprising. As for Derio's win, my guess is that he simply out-worked Jeff on this one.
On the 28th ward endorsement, I agree that it is a boost for Jeff but I would have been very concerned if he didn't win it. The white, moneyed, politically-connected, progressives are Jeff's base. He can't win this race without them.
Finally, Oracle, I think you're right on in that this race will ultimately be determined by who actually gets out to vote.
6/16/2006 7:35 AM
"On the 28th ward endorsement, I agree that it is a boost for Jeff but I would have been very concerned if he didn't win it. The white, moneyed, politically-connected, progressives are Jeff's base"
I have been told by many insiders that Jeff has Slay's support, which in turn means he has this politically connected support.
I would bet on Jeff for this Senate race.
6/16/2006 8:23 AM
"I hope jeff wins, he has my support, Im white moneyed and politically connected, LOL" GO JEFF
6/16/2006 9:05 AM
The 8th ward regulars are SW Garden conservatives living on Tower Grove Place and Columbia, not the more progressives in flats about the Garden and Shaw's diverse blocks.
Smith, who now lives in the 8th ward on Alfred, will win the 8th ward through his grassroots campaign and progressivism. Conway should be worried that his transitional ward will soon see new voters outnumbering the conservative SWG emptynesters that form his dying-breed base.
6/16/2006 9:45 AM
Conway...
Conway is an asshole, and so was his father.
DO NOT forget Homer G!
6/16/2006 10:38 AM
The 8th Ward endorsement for Derio is much more surprising than the 28th Ward endorsement, where the demographics clearly favor Smith.
Sure the Slay machine is behind Smith, maybe because the Dems prefer to have Jeff as a state senator as opposed to having him challenge Russ Carnahan again. At least one other endorsement of Smith that I know of comes from a state rep whose support has far more to do with his personal dislike for Derio than it does with agreement with Jeff on issues.
My hope is that voters will look at the candidates' positions on issues and disregard all that political endorsement garbage which is more often than not a result of payback, petty personal animosity, or other political motivation that has nothing to do with what is good for the city and its residents.
6/16/2006 11:03 AM
Anon,
I think that if you are going to call someone an asshole, you should identify yourself (at least by a nickname or something).
My 2 cents.
6/16/2006 11:13 AM
I was at the meeting last night, and the reports of it being a mostly mature croud are correct. Derio Gambaro's Republican-in-Democrat's-clothing, his age, and his slick-politician style seemed to be what won the night.
I'm just glad that Rep. El-Amin could see fit to actually making the meeting and that Rep. Boykins wasn't late as usual. They are finally showing a little bit of respect for the residents of the city.
What occured in the 28th ward was no surprise either. The residents didn't buy into the divisive politics being played up north, and voted for a candidate that works to unify the community and addresses the issues with real solutions, not ones that try to pit residents against eachother.
The 6th Ward had a meeting last night too, was there a vote?
6/16/2006 11:38 AM
Travis, since you insist upon repeating that "Republican in Democrat's clothing" remark every time you talk about Derio Gambaro, please list the specific issues that you feel make him a Republican because I am one, and I do not believe that he is.
6/16/2006 12:21 PM
I live in the 17th Ward (The Idiot Roddy), and for some reason, people around here (I'm just north of the Botanical Garden, in what's left of Botanical Heights (nee-McRee Town) seem to like Yaphet El-Amin. Not sure why. I support Jeff Smith, a progressive Democrat, and not Derio Gambaro (who I suspect is only getting support in The Hill because he just so happens to be Italian. Support a candidate based on ethnic backgrounds is a pretty stupid thing to do.
Just because I'm black doesn't mean I would support El-Amin because she is. Jeff Smith's a better person.
6/16/2006 12:48 PM
To Anon:
Derio Gambaro shares the following policy positions with either the Republican party, or Republicans I know (where there isn't an official position by that party):
Derio Gambaro is pro-life
Derio Gambaro supports privitizing social security
Derio Gambaro is against requirements for city employees to live in the city
To Nia:
You are right that the 6th isn't in the 4th, but there are other races going on this year which had candidates at last night's meetings in the 8th and 28th, such as Collector of Revenue and License Collector which would be effected by a 6th ward endorsement. So, I was just curious if there was a vote last night, or not, regardless of its impact on the 4th district race.
6/16/2006 5:08 PM
Nia, since you know, what happened to Amber in these wards?
6/16/2006 5:09 PM
Travis, I could point you to hundreds of pro-life straight ticket Democrats in the city, so that doesn't make Derio a Republican. Also, I have heard him speak against privatizing Social Security, and most of the Democrats and Republicans in my sphere were opposed to the police moving out of the city and feel the same way about city employees, so that doesn't make him a Republican.
Derio may be the only candidate that Republicans can in any measure identify with, but again, that does not make him one of us. A moderate Democrat does not a Republican make.
6/16/2006 6:31 PM
To Anon:
You are right, single issues do not define which party a person is best affiliated with, but when one tends to agree with many planks of one party over another, it's a good indicator.
So, Derio Gambaro being pro-life, supporting privatizing social security, and supporting allowing city employees moving outside the city, none of which are widely supported among the Democratic party, he is more closely aligned with the Republicans in the city than the Democrats. Hence the Republican-in-Democrat's-clothing.
6/17/2006 12:16 AM
Travis, just look at the pro-life issue, for example. Most Catholics in the city are Democrats, yet most are also pro-life. Does that make them Republicans? If so, I wish they would start taking the correct ballot in the primary. Then we would start having some Republican city officeholders. A little bi-partisanship surely couldn't hurt the city.
What has hurt the Democrats nationwide is that they have been sidestepping to the left for years. Anyone who is now the least bit moderate must be a Republican in their eyes.
Actually, forget what I said, and keep telling the moderates that they don't belong in your party. We Republicans are more tolerant and would be happy to have them.
6/17/2006 11:07 AM
Anon:
I am a centrist or moderate, in fact, but you want to keep avoiding my point. But in-case you just need to hear it one more time to get it, here it is.
Derio Gambaro supporting one Republican ideal or policy is not the justification of why he would be best aligned with the Republican party, but instead because he agrees time-and-again with those Republican ideals he is best identified as a Republican. I don't blame him for trying to be elected by the only active party in the city, but he should be straight forward on the issue.
6/17/2006 7:43 PM
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