This morning, the Register-Star seems unwilling to name a victor in the mayoral election in Hudson, reporting only that Joe Ferris leads Kamal Johnson by fewer than sixty votes.
Meanwhile, the Times Union is declaring in a headline: "Joe Ferris defeats Kamal Johnson in close Hudson mayoral race."
Joe Ferris is claiming victory on Facebook.
And Kamal Johnson seems to be conceding defeat on Instagram.
Kamal is not conceding defeat. Ever the “Mayor of Facebook,” on his facebook version of the post, he added to the second paragraph: “Not conceding until it's all ironed out.”
ReplyDeleteAs he seems to have modeled his last candidacy in the mode of Trump: with the bullying, grievance and politics of division, crying victim, nativism… it would make sense he doesn’t concede.
Classique Kamal:
ReplyDelete- His facebook concession is different, there he adds "Not conceding until it's all ironed out"
- So to the very end he presents different messages to his more local FB supporters compared to IG and the internet.
- Is he alleging improprieties with the electoral process?
- Refers to "our community", not his supporters, and the overall/entire city and community.
- And then in a freudian slip that the writers of the West Wing could not conjure up... he states that the "community... held me down every step."
Our editors are left wondering if Kamal's subconscious realized that by putting one part of the community over another, he held that community and indeed the entire city back, or that his prejudice is what "held (him) down."
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Our Editors will have a full set of analysis, hot takes, editorials and a guest op-ed or two this weekend. For now we leave you with this concession speech that could have been Kamal's:
[Not delivered] Statement from Kamal Johnson:
Tonight, the voters of Hudson have spoken. I have called Joe Ferris to congratulate him on a close, clean, and well-run campaign. I wish him every success as he takes on the responsibility of leading our beloved city.
Serving as your mayor has been the honor of my life. Together, we made real progress on affordable housing and community investment. In the days ahead, my team will work closely with Joe’s to ensure a smooth and transparent transition, so Hudson keeps moving forward without missing a step.
Thank you to all my campaign volunteers, and thank you to all the non-partisan City Hall workers who worked with me as mayor, and who will now support Joe in running the City, just like they did me 6 years ago.
For now, I’ll be spending more time with my family and with our community here in Hudson. My hope is that the new administration builds on the progress we made, and that we unite around a shared goal, making Hudson more affordable, more inclusive, and more livable for both longtime residents and newcomers alike.
Go Blue Hawks.