First of two parts
[img]2710|exact|||no_popup[/img]
Is there consolation in finishing much closer to the top in a runoff than in a crowded field in a special election?
Some may compare this to an only child kissing his sister.
Fred MacFarlane, Alex Johnson’s chief advisor in the late LAUSD School Board race for the vacant District 1 seat, did not sound deeply disappointed this morning on the day after the day after.
“Although he obviously wanted to win, Alex was pretty pleased with the result,” Mr. MacFarlane said as his candidate, who lost to George McKenna by 20 points in June, finished second this time, 53 percent to 47.
“Alex put in a tremendous effort,” he said of the far lesser known and 40 years’ younger aide to County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
The Johnson camp believes that if the runoff had been delayed until November, a more conventional election season than mid-August when almost nobody stages a showdown.
Ninety-two campuses in District 1, and it seems likely that a number of those schools were not represented in the embarrassingly thin turnout of 8 percent.
It almost appears as if the passion that the two camps produced between June 3’s special election and Tuesday’s runoff was aimed inward. There were so few voters the candidates probably had time to visit all of them on Election Day.
While giving no hint about his plans for next June’s standard School Board election when the McKenna seat will be up for a full term, Mr. Johnson sent out the following message:
“I’m proud of my campaign, and I am equally proud of the broad, diverse coalition of people my campaign was able to unite in our community’s fight for school improvement.
“Parents, public education advocates, teachers, school bus drivers, teachers’ aides, cafeteria workers and custodians joined forces with labor, business and religious leaders to convey one strong, but simple message: Our kids are not alone in this fight.”
(To be continued…)
