Here in Brooklyn's politically-beleaguered 40th City Council District, we are gearing up for yet another special election. Today, Friday March 23, was the deadline for candidates to accept or decline their nominations for the April 24 election.
After I voted the morning of the first special election on February 20th, I wrote:
The voting sheet looked very odd, with just one row at the top of the sheet, and not enough room to list all 11 candidates! Turnout was extremely light. The winner of this election is likely to do so by a handful of votes. Every vote counts, unlike some elections [g].How could I have been so naive. Every vote was wasted.
For those of you, such as my more distant readers, just tuning in, the story so far:
- Brooklyn's 40th City Council District seat was vacated when Yvette Clarke, was elected to Congress last fall.
- To fill the seat, a special election was held, with 12 candidates running (11 on the ballot, and one write-in).
- Questions arose about where the winner of that election, Mathieu Eugene, lived, and when he lived there. Elected officials must live in the district they represent.
- An investigation began. Eugene, after refusing to provide proof of residency, called for a second special election.
Some statistics:
- Active voters registered in the 40th District as of October 30, 2006: 65,640
- Total votes recorded in the February 20 election: 6,166
- Voter turnout: 9.39%
| Name | #Votes | %Votes | %Voters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathieu Eugene | 2,076 | 33.67% | 3.16% |
| Jennifer N. James | 942 | 15.28% | 1.44% |
| Wellington Sharpe | 728 | 11.81% | 1.11% |
| Harry L. Schiffman | 490 | 7.95% | 0.75% |
| Jesse Hamilton | 463 | 7.51% | 0.71% |
| Mohammad A. Razvi | 432 | 7.01% | 0.66% |
| Joel G. Toney | 365 | 5.92% | 0.56% |
| Leithland R. Tulloch | 298 | 4.83% | 0.45% |
| Zenobia McNally | 276 | 4.48% | 0.42% |
| Karlene A. Gordon | 72 | 1.17% | 0.11% |
| Gerry Hopkins | 23 | 0.37% | 0.04% |
| Malcom Davis | 1 | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Total | 6,166 | 100.00% | 9.39% |
Lest anyone believe that the winner of the first race walked away with any kind of a mandate from "the people", let me repeat:
Only 3.16% of the voters in the 40th District voted for the winner of this race.
Related posts:
- Vote!, February 20
- Landscape and Politics in Brooklyn's City Council District 40, February 14
- 40th District Forum on Preservation and Development, February 8
Related news stories:
- More queries in Council race, March 23, New York Daily News
References:
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