The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
A Circuit Court judge will set a date for a special election to fill the City Council seat that was held by Daun S. Hester.
Because she challenged Paul Fraim in the May 4 mayoral election, the city charter required Hester to step down as of Wednesday. Hester represented Ward 7, which encompasses half the city.
The City Council will fill the Ward 7 seat temporarily later this month. City Attorney Bernard A. Pishko said he expects the Circuit Court to set a date for an election next week.
Fraim said Thursday there is no preference on a date, although Nov. 2, the date of the next general election, has been mentioned.
Any date must be approved by the Justice Department, and Councilman Paul R. Riddick and Del. Kenny Alexander, D-Norfolk, said Nov. 2 might violate the spirit of the Voting Rights Act.
Norfolk was ordered by federal courts to institute a ward system in order to give African American voters a chance to elect candidates of their choice. Although Ward 7 has a black majority, Alexander and Riddick say they believe white turnout will be higher on Nov. 2 than it would be in a normal municipal election.
Fraim said a state statute requires the city to hold an election swiftly.
"As a practical matter, I don't care when we hold the election," Fraim said. "We just want to make sure we're adhering to state law."
Pishko said it is possible, though unlikely, that instead of setting a special election, the Circuit Court will allow the person appointed by the council to serve until June 30, 2012, when Hester's term was to expire.
The council has received applications from 17 candidates, including Hester, interested in being appointed temporarily to the Ward 7 seat. However, officials discovered two do not live in the ward, and a third withdrew.
The council will hold public interviews of designated finalists at 3 p.m. Thursday. Finalists will be determined by the council members early next week.
The council also unanimously reappointed Anthony L. Burfoot as vice mayor Thursday. Burfoot won re-election to the Council in May.
"To go through an election and win all 12 precincts and to have the unanimous support of my council colleagues is very humbling," he said.
Thursday's meeting followed a swearing-in ceremony for Fraim, Burfoot and four other council members at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center, newcomers Andy Protogyrou and Tommy Smigiel and incumbents Riddick and Theresa Whibley.
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Hold the election Nov 2
It seems to be the prudent choice. I don't care if Daun Hester stays in her vacated seat until the election; she was ineffective before her defeat in the mayoral race, so I am sure that will not change if she is allowed to sit in her lame duck spot until a scheduled election date.
The fact that Ward 7 is predominantly an African American ward should have no bearing on the date of the election. Are Riddick and Alexander saying that African-Americans won't show up to vote for their city council seat if the other items on the ballot may cater to a predominately white audience? Nothing Riddick says ever surprises me, he is blight in my opinion. I am surprised to hear K. Alexander weigh in with this opinion though. I think they should give the constituents in Ward 7 more credit, and leave the race card off the table.
If the voters in Ward 7 feel strongly enough about having their voices heard, they will show up on any date to vote, just like the rest of us.
Vote 'em OUT!
The fact that these two are even talking about trying to pick a specific date that would produce more black voters or less white voters shows how racist and illegal thinking these men are and they should be fired. If I tried to pick a date for an office party looking for a date when there would be less of one race and more of another I would be fired from my job for being a racist. Why not them? The district was already alligned with a majority black voters and that's enough. Set the election day for the regular, normal election date the first week in Nov. rather than wasting our tax dollars trying to have another election in addition to that date.
Once again....
they are elected by us...can't fire them, only un-elect them. Riddick has a new 4 year term and so this racial division will likely continue.
although i get your point
I must disagree. This illustrates how they are NOT elected by us, but by a few. In any other circumstances this would be voter fraud but not in Norfolk.
you got to be kidding
Hold the election on 2 Nov and you will have max turnout and save the city money. If there is a good black candidate he/she will get elected if not he wont. Has Riddick forgotten that the President is black and he wasn't elected by blacks only.
Couldn't agree more...well
Couldn't agree more...well said!
Paul Riddick
Only a true visionary such as Paul Riddick could put a racial slant on what day we hold an election.
don't forget
Kenny Alexander brought this up first, so we have two visionaries
IF
Ward 7 was created to have a 'black majority' isn't that enough preferential treatment? Now we need to also schedule the election when less whites will vote as well?
If there are conservative issues in November that will bring out more conservative/white voters, shouldn't that bring out more libs as well? Two sides of the same coin.
I thought the point of an election was that the voice of THE PEOPLE be heard. To quiet the voices of some goes against everything I ever learned about this country (yes I know it has happened in the past but two wrongs dont make a right) To openly discuss in city council meetings and the Virginian Pilot how to quite the voice of the minority (in this situation) is just wrong on so many levels
Financial sense
It seems to make more financial sense for Norfolk to have the special election take place in the upcoming November election cycle when the machines, the electoral officials, etc are already in place for the congressional races. Norfolk cannot afford continue to spend the taxpayers money without looking at the costs of moving this election to May 2011 when there are no other elections taking place.
Gotta tighten that belt somewhere since the Commissioner of the Revenue has a city credit card. Gotta love Norfolk politics.