This Is NOT The Sort of Mistake The SCDP Needs To Make

First, full disclosure: I served with Cherry Davis on the SCDP, I like her and respect her, and if I lived in District 6, I would vote for her for School Board over Sara Lewis.

That having been said, Sara Lewis has EVERY RIGHT to be pissed off at the SCDP this morning for what is apparently a back-door endorsement of Cherry Davis, after the SCDP had indicated that they would NOT endorse in any non-partisan races this year.  Jackson Baker has the full details here.

When I served on the ExecCom, I also served on the Elections Committee, who interviewed candidates that sought our endorsement.  At the very least, ALL candidates for the position for which we would endorse were invited to come before the committee to make their case.  We asked all candidates for a given position the same questions relative to that position in order to make a fair recommendation to the full ExecCom.  This was NOT the procedure used in this race, per Van Turner:

Lewis’s objections to the SCDP endorsement in District 6 aren’t limited to her contention that the Party is violating its own official policy. She wonders why the Party executive committee chose to endorse in District 6 and not in the At Large, Position 2 race, which is also contested.

“They endorsed her because she asked them. But no one else was even informed that an endorsement was coming and was even invited to address the committee,” Lewis said.

Shelby County Democratic chairman Van Turner said Tuesday he was well aware of candidate Lewis’ discontent and had taken steps to address it.

“It’s true that generally we don’t endorse in contested non-partisan races involving more than one Democrat, but there is a precedent.” He cited the committee’s endorsement of School Board member Freda Williams in a previous election in which Williams, a party executive committee member, had opposition by another Democrat.

Turner noted that in both Williams' case and that of Davis, who is the Shelby County Democratic Party’s vice chair, the person endorsed had a prominent active role in the local party. He said the move to endorse Davis was made from the floor by member Howard Richardson at last Thursday night’s monthly meeting of the party executive committee and was approved unanimously.

As for Lewis’ other objection, that no move to endorse was made in the At Large, Position 2 race, involving incumbent K.T. Whalum Jr., Bob Morgan, and Richard Fields, Turner observed that no motion to do so had come from the floor.

 Ok, that's just screwed up, and Lewis should scream long and loud about this and make it an issue in this campaign, because NONE of those people, excepting maybe Turner, are rookies.  They KNOW proper procedure and they IGNORED it.  It makes the SCDP look cheap, petty and stupid, NONE of which they need in the middle of a general election season.

I may not be a fan of Sara Lewis, but fair is fair, and she got hosed.