First in a series.
You are going to like Daniel Lee.
Until now he has been a member of the trio of faceless candidates for the City Council in the April 12 election.
Regardless of whether your politics parallels his, young Mr. Lee is captivatingly engaging.
Social media has been buzzingly alive with excitement about his run for one of the three open seats.
Before his major campaign launching two days ago at the home of freshman School Board member Dr. Kelly Kent, Mr. Lee sat down to talk about the birth of his candidacy.
How and when did Mr. Lee decide to join the eight-way wrestling match?
Almost shyly but appealingly, he speaks with deliberation and unmistakable clarity.
“Let’s talk ‘how’ first,” he said. “A very, very long process. I actually began by speaking with a current City Councilperson, Meghan Sahli-Wells. Then I spoke with a long list of people who are very involved with the city, from Bill Wynn to some commissioners to former Council people like Gary Silbiger and current Council members like Jim Clarke and Mayor (Mehaul) O’Leary.”
Question: How long has competing for office been on the mind of Mr. Lee?
“I have been thinking of getting into politics for awhile,” he said. “I thought it actually might be four years from now.”
Mr. Lee recalled the light bulb moment.
“The subject came up at last year’s Dr. Martin Luther King birthday celebration,” he said. “Meghan Sahli-Wells mentioned that there never had been an African American City Councilperson.
“I thought it would be good to at least have a candidate. So that is when my process began. It did not get started in earnest until last fall when I started talking to people about running.
“I did not make my final decision until December.”
The pivotal factor?
“I was partially convinced,” said Mr. Lee, “by the victory of Kelly Kent,” a School Board candidate who, like Mr. Lee, owned a pocket-sized profile across the community.
(To be continued)
