For the first time in modern history, a Republican has been elected to office in Franklin County!OUR PINKI WAS ELECTED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION last night, 63% to 37%, unseating a Democratic incumbent. A political newcomer, our PINKI ran a terrific campaign with her theme: "New Thinking, New Listening".
Needless to say, as her business partner here at SeaSide Village, and her good friend, I know what a great candidate she was, what an asset she will be to public service, what a generous heart and good soul she is. I'm ecstatic, even though she's a Republican!
Now the truth can be told. I'm a Democrat. Pinki is a Republican. We are great friends with different politics, yet with the same values and ideals, just like most of the rest of purple America where "some of our best friends are.....". When we created the SeaSide Village website and 'Judy's Blog', given how outspoken I can be, and opinionated (she is, too), the one pre-condition from Pinki was that there would be no politics discussed. In that I'm a political junkie and have a LOT to say, that was probably a very good call on her part. So throughout this entire campaign season I've bitten my tongue, at least about Presidential politics. Who knew then, certainly not either of us, that she was going to run for County Commissioner a year later?!
The truth is that locally, party designation has no meaning on local issues. It's just whether folks will take the time to understand what you stand for and whether they will vote for you if you are not in their party. When she decided to run we had a blast writing and designing her campaign materials, letters, strategy, media spots, etc. We decided that no matter what, we were going to have a lot of fun. Pinki is a very smart, strong, heartfelt person with great pride in everything she does, a woman of intense respect for others, personal dignity, integrity and compassion. Not being well-known and running against an incumbent Democrat in a strongly Democratic area was not going to be an easy task. What I saw was an extraordinarily hard working person going door to door, really listening to the concerns of the folks she met in her District, coming back with deep insights about what was needed locally to enhance the lives of others, and having that truly matter to her. If she could just run a 'smart' campaign she could have a chance. She worked so very hard, day in and day out, steadily, methodically, tirelessly, for months.
She told me what she learned along her journey while meeting a thousand people is that, "I love the people. They are warm and good. That's the great part. However, I'm not so sure just how much I like the 'politics' of it all......it's not always a nice business."
One of the photos here is her on her "Pinki-Mobile" at last weekend's Seafood Festival in Apalachicola, with Michael Leo's darling daughters, Maddie and Christina, and Pinki's dog, Sadie, about to ride through the parade.
While we heard amazing feedback about her chances, how well she was being received by people who met her, how many voters she met told her they'd already early-voted for her, there were no other guideposts for her to assess her chances of winning. It hadn't been done before. She worked tirelessly until the polls closed as if the last vote might make the difference. She told me quietly on election day "I just don't want to lose so badly that I embarrass myself." Knowing that to meet Pinki is to fall in like with her, we who know her knew that this was not a possibility. The issue was whether Democrats would cross over and vote for someone with (R) by their name in a local election. And they did ever!
63% of the vote is a very strong statement about the candidacy of this capable, creative, committed, honorable and compassionate newcomer to elected public service. I am so proud of my friend. We are all so grateful to many new friends who gave of themselves to support her. Her husband Dana, and son William, were out there at the polls holding her signs on Tuesday, as were many other friends and supporters including our SeaSide Village's Michael Leo and Gaye Lass, until polls were closing. A crowd gathered at her office and ate Mexican awaiting results, Pinki with the oddest expression of incredulousness on her face as results steadily showed her in the lead from the outset, from every segment of the District.
Congratulations, Ms. Pinki. It is always the bestest of life's experiences to work with you. The future looks like it will continue to be a whole lotta new, and fun, and productive! Her values are in tact. When asked what was the first thing she was doing the morning after being elected, she said "I'm going fishing...haven't been fishing in months." I haven't heard from her all day!
Judy
