[img]2283|right|Jeff Cooper||no_popup[/img]Mayor Jeff Cooper and City Councilman Jim Clarke, the stout co-favorites in Tuesday’s City Council election, are spending the eve of their presumed return to the dais quite differently.
In mid-afternoon, the intrepid Mr. Clarke was found in Culver City West, knocking on doors, hoping to coax late-deciding voters to swing him back across the threshold for four full years instead of the bargain-basement half-term he presently is completing. “Tired but still walking,” he wearily told the newspaper.
When Mayor Cooper responded by email, he included one surprise note:
“Have to work my day job today.
“No time for walking.
“We will be doing a get-the-vote-out phone bank tonight.
“I continue to work hard to the end and not be overconfident.
“I am proud to support Jim Clarke with my second vote. He has been a great addition in our Council.”
Mr. Clarke, who voted absentee, marked his ballots three weeks ago, and his second vote went to Mr. Cooper.
“I only half filled in the circle,” said the Councilman wittily, “because I wanted him to get just half of a vote.”
[img]1792|right|Jim Clarke||no_popup[/img]Messrs. Cooper and Clarke are heavily predicted to ride home 1-2 or 2-1 tomorrow night – perhaps, some are saying, not so long after the polls close at 8 o’clock.
Reportedly, half of the anticipated votes already have been mailed in, meaning that when these votes are tabulated around 8:30 in Council Chambers, the four-way race could end before drama has a chance to build.
How do we know that? We do not.
Sheer speculation, but not entirely unfounded.
Incumbents typically are favored to repeat, especially when times have been good, as they have been in recent years with the City Council.
Evidence? At the most recent reporting, Mr. Cooper had raised $40,000, Mr. Clarke $25,000, and Christopher Patrick King was a distant third $7,000.
Mr. Clarke emphasized he was not taking his co-favorite role for granted. This is the Land of Upsets. A couple of School Board elections ago, Scott Zeidman, now a Parks commissioner, was regarded as a cinch repeater. He did not.
A scant five months ago, Karlo Silbiger was branded such a heavy choice for re-election that it was said the School Board would have to disband for him to miss out. The Board did not disband. Mr. Silbiger finished down the line.
