The Kid and The Old Man, Scott Zeidman and Steve Gourley, captured the two open seats on the School Board last night by running the most energized, most imaginative, most aggressive campaigns to decisively defeat three other candidates.
Inarguably, Mr. Zeidman was the youngest, most zestfully enthusiastic challenger in an equally weighted, unusually crowded field.
He and Mr. Gourley, the first former City Councilman to run for the School Board in Culver City, may have ranked as the longest shots, but for quite separate reasons.
Changes in Zeidman
Although little noted at the time, the two winners undoubtedly ran the best organized and over-watched campaigns — Mr. Gourley as the old warhorse, Mr. Zeidman as the rookie who, as advisor Madeline Ehrlich said, “grew throughout the campaign. At the beginning, he had catching up to do. But he matured impressively. Scott was willing to learn, and he was willing to listen.”
Of Mr. Gourley, the most controversial candidate in the field, it often has been said he has collected as many critics as supporters. “I have more critics than supporters,” he cracked this morning. “But they don’t all vote.” If they did yesterday, they split their votes in four directions, which obviously would have been advantageous for Mr. Gourley.
Order Hardly Disturbed
After running second most of the night, Mr. Zeidman came from behind to nose out the rebounding Mr. Gourley by 29 votes for first place. Mr. Zeidman was named on 1,173 ballots, Mr. Gourley on 1,144.
Roger Maxwell, the dean of the field and a second-time candidate who suffered a heartbreaking loss to incumbent Stew Bubar four years ago, placed a wide-open third this time. At 1,076, he was 68 votes out of a place position.
The Second Tier
Former incumbent Mike Eskridge, running for the unprecedented fifth time, was in fourth place throughout the counting, wedged between Mr. Maxwell and first-time challenger Alan Elmont.
Mr. Eskridge ended with 813 votes, Mr. Elmont with 540.
“I am not a good politician,” Mr. Elmont said dryly and self-deprecatingly, “because a good politician knows what he is doing. If I could do it again, I would have an organization instead of trying to do everything myself.”
Mr. Zeidman, who turns 46 years old next month, was little known across the neighborhoods, even though he went through the Culver City school system in the 1970s.
Who Said ‘The End’?
As for the elder statesman Mr. Gourley, the 1980s and ‘90s were presumed to have been his most fertile professional periods. Until a few months ago, he was widely deemed to be enjoying the kind of semi-official political retirement that his peers, such as Paul Jacobs, recline in these days.
At 58 years old, though, the Westchester native who joined the City Council for the first time at the age of 39, showed a community how wrong it can be.
The two winners will replace two longtime Board members who are retiring, Marla Wolkowitz and Mr. Bubar. Rumors persist that Mr. Bubar will run for one of three open seats on the City Council next spring, but he has told the newspaper that he definitely will not be a candidate.
More Than Age Differences
The styles and personalities of Mr. Zeidman and Mr. Gourley originate from opposite directions as much as their resumes do.
Mr. Zeidman surrounded himself with an armada of equally peppy, upbeat high school students. He strengthened his boyish image by spurning the formal dress of his rivals in favor of polo shirts. Indeed, he was polo-shirted last night at a large reception co-hosted by the former School Board member Ms. Ehrlich and her husband Paul in Sunkist Park.
The evening was long for everyone, and by the time he learned, a little after 11 o’clock that he had been elected on his first try, Mr. Zeidman said all he really wanted to do was to go home and sleep for five hours.
Making Choices
While the five candidates pretty much struck the same notes with similar intensity, the point of distinction came when voters considered style, vigor, freshness and believability.
Mr. Zeidman particularly hit hard on seeking to reduce the number of permit students — with a caveat. He also offered ample evidence that he is a flexible team-player.
Every time he pounded a hard point, he cushioned his opinion by pledging to compromise if his own undiluted view failed to prevail.
Difference in Profile
The astute Mr. Gourley, by contrast, is a passionately driven, tremendously outgoing, heavy-hitting politician who never leaves home without his favorite needle to jab at opponents.
By far the most politically accomplished artist in the field, he has held municipal, county and statewide positions. He may be moré savvy and better connected than all of his opponents combined.
Early to Bed, Early to…
Was Mr. Gourley’s legendary confidence mentioned?
Married to an educator who arises well before dawn, Mr. Gourley left word that he was not to be disturbed after 9 o’clock, that he was retiring for the night, Harry Truman style.
By that time, only the absentee ballots had been tabulated. With 554 votes, he led Mr. Zeidman by 70 and Mr. Maxwell by 76.
Back in the good, ol’ summertime, they seemed to be the unlikeliest twosome to advance from practically outer space to the School Board.
Mr. Gourley commanded the strongest name recognition among contenders, Mr. Zeidman the least, even though he is a virtual native and, with his brother, operates a world-class business while also practicing law.
Voters’ Choices
His boyish charisma, permanent smile, comfortable informality, youthful good looks and straight-talking sincerity won over the very selective few residents who managed to vote.
Mr. Gourley, who had not run for office in Culver City since the middle 1990s, essayed the political Comeback of the Year.
Until he shocked the city by declaring in July his intention to run for the School Board, only his inner-innermost circle of confidants had any notion he coveted one more dash at public office.
Is That All There Was?
Most of the friends and critics he made during eight years on the City Council in the ‘90s thought that when newly elected Gov. Schwarzenegger uncoupled Mr. Gourley as the state director of the Dept. of Motor Vehicles four years ago, he was finished with politics.
There is only a dozen years difference in their ages, but the perceived gap between the top two votegetters going into the campaign, was broader.
Leaders Rode All the Way
On a typically feather-light Election Day in Culver City, the front finishers had the race to themselves from the time the absentee ballot-counting began.
With a single exception, the order of the field scarcely changed once the absentee count was posted by the County Registrar’s headquarters in Norwalk minutes after the polls closed at 8 o’clock.
Votes were publicly posted in three increments — after the absentees, at the 54 percent mark, and at 100 percent. Mr. Gourley held an ever-narrowing lead until the final posting when his edge was overturned.
Major Celebrations Delayed
Celebrations by the co-victors were fairly muted because of the lateness of the hour.
Ms. Ehrlich, unleashed a “Whoopee!” at 11:05 when her candidate was acknowledged as the No. 1 finisher, and she quickly posed with him for the first picture.