Friday late afternoon

The weather hasn't been very cooperative this week. Just as it's time to collect signatures on my petitions, it rains.

Last night, though, proved otherwise and I had a great time meeting voters.

The best dialogue was with one gentleman:

Me: Would you please sign my petition?
He: Why should ?
Me: So there will be two people on the ballot.
He: So?
Me: Having a choice is better than none.
He: Who is your opponent?
Me: Deb Mell.
He: Why didn't you say that in the first place? Of course, I'll sign.

We're also having some good success contacting local unions in our search for their endorsement. More information on that later. For now it is a matter of making contact as they won't endorse until the ballot is announced by the Board of Elections.

Signature Update

Door by door, the numbers begin to add up as voters in my district sign my ballot-access petition. I can't speak for the volunteers who are making the trek down the blocks but for me it is an incredibly affirming journey. Some sign because they believe in "open ballot access;" others want to see a choice on the ballot; many are dissatisfied with the encumbent or the encumbent's family.

I also hear of the issues... mostly health insurance and ethical government. It is interesting that the voters who question me the most are the ones most willing to sign my petition. One jovial guy asked about gun control, then drugs, then vouchers... He liked my first two answers and then noted, "Two out of three ain't bad."

I can't believe it's been more than a month

OK, I'm sorry I've been absent for so long. Last post July 5? I thought I had only missed three weeks at most.

Between traveling on business, keeping all the work on my desk moving along, and (most recently) collecting signatures on my petitions, it has been one busy month.

The short of it all is that the campaign is going well, there's a cadre of canvassers willing to collect signatures, and there's an actual group of volunteers who are doing necessary and helpful work to make my campaign succeed.

Tomorrow we'll be hitting the sidewalks to knock on doors for signatures. We had our first completed petitions notarized this morning. And campaign contributions are coming in as well. In spite of this afternoon's rain, it feels like a sunny day.