I thought that my previous post (about the fabulous singer, Miley Cyrus) would be my last post until the first results come in on Tuesday, but it just dawned on me that I have the same feeling going into Election Day that I had in the Alaska primary for Congress 13 years ago. Then there were six candidates competing in what would turn out to be the last statewide Open Alaska Primary, a primary in which any partisan candidate could run in regardless of their party affiliation (before the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed those kind of primaries, but later reinstituted it, more or less, through the State of Washington's "Top 2" law). The Alaskan Republicans opted to hold their own primary rather than participate in that one that year, 2000. I campaigned hard although in only 2 of Alaska's towns as it is almost impossible to cover the whole great land mass state even with considerable money, let alone without it.
However, I did manage to communicate through the Alaskan media well enough to win the primary, but had absolutely no idea where I would place among the 6 candidates before I first heard the results from my mother over the phone (who had checked the results on her computer). The radio announcers were pretty much ignoring the Congress primary until very late in the night, if not after 12 A.M. I thought that I did well given the hand that I was dealt (poor finances, relative newcomer to Alaska, a conservative state that's doesn't particularly embrace dyed-in-the-wool liberals), but doing well is not always good enough to win elections. However, I won. Today, I have the same feeling about Newcastle (not really feeling too sure, but also having this feeling that a victory will happen), but the difference is that this is the General Election and not a primary, so now I may take office. Thank you, Newcastlers, for your support and confidence in me. My first agenda item will be trying to put together the consortium and political support needed to build a geothermal plant in Newcastle (in conjunction with gearing up the private version of the Newcastle Environmental Enhancement Project), and I will start on that, within the full legal boundaries as a private citizen still, during the transition period between Election Day and the start of the new Council term in early January (my swearing-in day).
-- Mark Greene, Candidate for Newcastle City Council, Position 6
Note: After 2000, Alaskans awarded me a second consecutive partisan primary victory for Congress in August of 2002, with roughly 2/3 of the vote.
[revised on 11/1/13]
Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.
Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.
However, I did manage to communicate through the Alaskan media well enough to win the primary, but had absolutely no idea where I would place among the 6 candidates before I first heard the results from my mother over the phone (who had checked the results on her computer). The radio announcers were pretty much ignoring the Congress primary until very late in the night, if not after 12 A.M. I thought that I did well given the hand that I was dealt (poor finances, relative newcomer to Alaska, a conservative state that's doesn't particularly embrace dyed-in-the-wool liberals), but doing well is not always good enough to win elections. However, I won. Today, I have the same feeling about Newcastle (not really feeling too sure, but also having this feeling that a victory will happen), but the difference is that this is the General Election and not a primary, so now I may take office. Thank you, Newcastlers, for your support and confidence in me. My first agenda item will be trying to put together the consortium and political support needed to build a geothermal plant in Newcastle (in conjunction with gearing up the private version of the Newcastle Environmental Enhancement Project), and I will start on that, within the full legal boundaries as a private citizen still, during the transition period between Election Day and the start of the new Council term in early January (my swearing-in day).
-- Mark Greene, Candidate for Newcastle City Council, Position 6
Note: After 2000, Alaskans awarded me a second consecutive partisan primary victory for Congress in August of 2002, with roughly 2/3 of the vote.
[revised on 11/1/13]
Recent N.P.R. post with Mark Greene's photo: Time to Vote.
Last day to mail in or drop-off ballots: Tues., Nov. 5th, 2013.
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