My thoughts on the ANC elections

Good luck to all the candidates in tomorrow's elections!

There are no "winners" or "losers" when it comes to people standing up volunteering their time, hard work, and commitment for OUR community! This should be celebrated! For those in uncontested races please don't take your position for granted, work hard every single day for your constituents, be willing to listen, and learn, and be humble for to service the community is a great honor. If you need help, please ask for it. For those in contested races please do not let the childhood mentality of "winners" and "losers" cloud the overall lesson of the day -- having more than one option is a very GOOD thing. When more than one person wants to stand up to say, "I would like to help too" that is an awesome thing and should be encouraged, nurtured and celebrated. Don't let petty differences, or hurt feelings, or selfish reasons stand in the way of that. Just as there is one before you, there will be more after you and hopefully plenty still standing shoulder to shoulder with you. That is what can make Ward 8 great, a community of people with different backgrounds, ideas, thoughts, wishes, dreams, perspectives, solutions, faiths, working together to do their part to help their blocks, communities, and yes, ANCs succeed.

Regardless of who gets the most votes after tomorrow's elections (because despite some of these petty fights there really are no "winners" or losers") the stage has been set, the tone has changed, and the seedlings of the next crop of community leaders has been sowed and the harvest is going to be bountiful and plentiful. Not all the crops may bear fruit this term but they will bear and we shall all be the fuller for it and that is a harvest we can all enjoy.

Therefore, for those candidates who find themselves a few votes short after the polls close please do not give up, stay involved, ask questions, and always demand more! Your community still needs you! We need you to be the watchers, protectors, supporters, and sometimes-even critics-- of those elected to serve. The campaign will not end when the poll close, in many ways it has just begun. It's one thing to get the job, its another thing to keep it. I think there will be more than enough people ready to give applause for a job well done and just as many to raise hell if it's not. I truly believe we are entering the next golden age of renewed accountability and activism East of the River and that is a wonderful thing, regardless of who is sworn in the upcoming year.

For those lucky few who will find themselves with the most votes when they are counted do not become cocky. ‘Pride always comes before the fall.” The real work has just begun and now you have an audience of not only spectators but also those waiting to step up if by chance you fall down, some to offer support and others to replace you. If you worked hard for your campaign, wonderful! Remember that fire, remember that desire, and remember how badly you wanted to hold that seat! Please take that energy, drive, and commitment and apply it to the constituents who elected you. Just as your voters showed up for you on Election Day show up for your voters in community meetings, on the streets, and in agency hearings. Do not always go for the “no” when a “yes” may be the answer. Do not be dismissive lest you find yourself dismissed. Don't think you are too smart that you don't have anything new to learn. Don’t turn a blind eye less someone turns a deaf ear to you in the next election. Engage the community, each and every one of them and put any petty, childish beefs to the side and encourage everyone to be a part of the process, STAND WITH THEM --- not just at the head of the podium but in the community. You were elected TO SERVE. That means be thoughtful, be truthful, be moral and most importantly, be humble because as we all know these terms are temporary and as we have seen from the explosion of community participation in these latest races, there are community warriors ready, willing, and able to step up.

Now on this election eve, I ask the candidates to please take a moment and ask yourself, "why am I really running?"