Qualifying week has come & gone for our beloved home city & we now know who will be on the ballot come November 5th. Let's break it down, TPC style.
Mayor
Qualified candidates: Steve Horton, Ronnie Johnston (Incumbent) & Eric Threets
*Though previously declared, Tim Walden did not qualify for this race.
There were questions as to whether or not Rev. Threets would actually qualify. There'd been word around the campfire as to a possible attempt to strike an accord with the Horton camp. Without Threets in the race, there seemed to be a consensus view by some that the JC machine & Minister's Union crowd would probably get behind Steve Horton for mayor; however, it seems likely they'll now be supporting Threets.
Regardless, the dynamics of this race are very interesting.
In a previous post, I'd given some preliminary odds on this one, and I believe this basic gist still holds true. The big thing is: an actual majority (50% + 1) is needed to win a Covington municipal election so there's about a 98% chance that the mayor's race will be going to a runoff in my opinion. So in that context, it's all about who finishes #1 & #2. If Threets runs a real, legitimate campaign, then I believe just based on demographics alone, he will end up as the top vote-getter, so that that means it will be a race between Johnston & Horton to get the #2 spot. I think given the lay of the land, we will see Johnston likely make the runoff & will end up seeing a 3rd time for the current Mayor. But...you never know.
However, I'd like very much to make this abundantly clear: I have not personally made an endorsement in this race & am planning to cover this one fairly straight & unbiased. I've already had a preliminary interview with Mayor Johnston & hope to have initial interviews done with both Horton & Threets within the next couple of weeks. So keep an eye out for that.
Council East Ward Races
Between here at TPC & on Facebook I believe I've made my position on these races relatively well known. I will be supporting both Josh McKelvey & Steve Plitt, respectively. I plan on interviewing both of these gentleman soon. So keep an eye out for those pieces as well.
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| Councilman McKelvey |
Exciting times, no doubt. Stay tuned for much more regarding the Covington municipal races moving forward.
In Freedom,
- MB McCart