The results of the election appear to show that both Mayor Ransom and Deputy Mayor Fimia were ousted in their attempts to be re-elected, while former (appointed) City Councilmember Paul Grace was denied election to the council for a second time.
When looking for commonality, Ransom and Fimia were targets of negative mailers, one in the summer, and one closer to the election, while Grace was targeted twice within the waning weeks of the election cycle, when countermeasures are difficult.
Do negative tactics work? Despite all of the complaints about it, it appears so.
On the other hand, Shoreline welcomes three newcomers to city government for the second time in two years: Councilmember-elects Eggen, McConnell and Scott. Information I’ve seen suggests that the present majority will be retained, just without its most ardent and visible leader, Fimia, in the foreground. Hopefully, there’s potential for cross-pollination, though, since with the retirement of Councilmember Gustafson, only former Mayor Ron Hansen has more than two years in office; this involves the most seats changing hands in our short history.
The grind of sacrificing their personal and work lives for several months of nonstop campaigning and money-raising is over. In its place are Monday night meetings that tend to end around 11, preparing for such meetings, and constituent service, requiring a different skillset. While the new councilmembers learn the ropes, they deserve our patience and support in delivering the best that Shoreline can offer. Meanwhile, the three departing councilmembers deserve our thanks for their willingness to step forward and for their efforts.
Brian Doennebrink
Shoreline
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