Is it ever too early to run for city council? Apparently not.

Republicans have long complained that receiving the Democratic nomination in Charlottesville can be tantamount to election [Republicans have not been elected to the Charlottesville City Council since 1986.]

And the Charlottesville Democratic Party has retained an extraordinary amount of vitality and resilience as new candidates have managed to bring enough of their own supporters into the election process to win the Democratic nomination for city council.

So it should be no surprise when Democrat Joan Fenton, the first person to file with the Virginia Board of Elections, says about filing early: "The truth is that former city council candidates advised me to do so. 'You can never declare too early, but you can declare too late.'"

It's just the way the game is played. Remember Emily Couric started telling people she was running three years before her first election. And, Joan is running against two well-respected candidates...all the more reason, she says, to get started.

"'[Announcing candidacy for council this early is] a bit of a departure,' says Mayor Blake Caravati. 'But there's been a trend toward spending more time and money getting your word out'" (John Borgmeyer, C-Ville Weekly, September 4-10, 2001).

Both Blake Caravati and David Toscano have said they will not make their decision before this fall.

Asked about Blake Caravati and David Toscano remaining undeclared, Joan said she understood if they needed to wait, but she herself could not afford to do so.

In addition to Blake, David, and Joan, there are a host of individuals who have been mentioned -- as having an interest in running for city council -- who are exploring candidacy or are waiting in the wings, along with a few who say they definitely will not run at this time.

I, myself, applaud diversity and competition in the political process and look forward to a race that I believe will be a referendum on the unity, character and direction of city council and will perhaps determine the selection of the next mayor.

I also support the Democratic Party and plan to make a symbolic financial contribution to any candidate who formally steps up to the plate for the Democratic nomination for the Charlottesville City Council.

In the name of full disclosure, however, I declare my formal support for incumbents David Toscano and Blake Caravati, should they choose to run.

This said, please enjoy the short summaries on some of the candidates below.

Please send your thoughts about the campaign to george@loper.org where the most representative comments will be posted on my web site.

And, whenever you are ready, let the games begin."

David Toscano

David Toscano [D] is in his third term.

[L-R] Kay Slaughter and David Toscano with Doug Wilder

First elected in 1990, David was reelected to city council in 1994, where he served as Mayor until 1996.

David was elected once again in 1998, the same year he was honored by the Virginia Congressional District Committees as a rising star.

[L-R] David Toscano with Kenneth Plum and Virgil Goode

Blake Caravati

Blake Caravati [D] was first elected, along with David Toscano in 1998, after which he served as Mayor beginning in 2000.

Blake Caravati - 1998

In the 1998 city council race, where two seats were at stake, David Toscano (D) received 2589 votes (32%), Blake Caravati (D) received 2345 votes (29%), Michael Crafaik (R) received 1679 votes (20%), and James King (I) received 1539 votes (19%).

The spread between the votes for David Toscano and Blake Caravati was 244 votes, between Blake Caravati and Michael Crafaik was 666 votes, and between Michael Crafaik and James King was 140 votes.

In that race a total of 4,499 out of 19,914 registered voters actually voted, or 22.6%.

One of the issues in the 1998 contest for city council was the construction of Meadowcreek Parkway. This was also an issue in the 2000 city council election. Whether it will remain one in 2002 is anyone's guess.

In the meantime, David and Blake have said "that they have not decided if they will run for re-election.

'I'm definitely leaning at it, but I'm not going to make my decision until the appropriate time, and for me that's late fall, winter,' Caravati said.

'I haven't heard of anybody announcing they were running for City Council this early,' Toscano said.

'Often times, people don't make their decisions known until after [the holidays], so this is pretty early.' Toscano said he expects to decide on a re-election bid in the fall. (Jake Mooney, The Daily Progress, August 28, 2001).

This June, Blake Caravati kicked off my "Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Mark Warner" series as a Bogey Golfer for Mark Warner.

Blake Caravati - Bogey Golfer for Mark Warner

For more about Blake Caravati, see interview by Chris Saitta.

Joan Fenton

Joan Fenton [D] has been living in the Charlottesville area since 1991. Since that time, she has served as head of a PTO and has opened up April's Corner on the downtown mall and Quilts Unlimited on Millmont Street.

Joan Fenton at Quilts Unlimited

She is currently chair of the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review, a member of the Charlottesville Revolving Loan Committee and chair of the Downtown Business Association. And anyone who talks with her will quickly learn of her heartfelt attachment to Charlottesville residents and the community.

Over the years, Joan has spent countless hours volunteering for the Democratic Party.

Asked about her residency, she says,

"I've had an apartment in the city since last October, while maintaining a house just outside. Aside from actually sleeping, I've spent almost every waking hour downtown. All my efforts have been dedicated to the enrichment of downtown, so making the committment to run for city council was just a logical progression."

Asked about why she wishes to run for city council, Joan says,

"Even though Charlottesville is wonderful, it will take vision and hard work to keep it that way for the generations to come. And even though Charlottesville has been rated the best small city in many magazines, there is still work to be done to ensure that this is an economically viable place for everyone who chooses to stay here.

There are people who are not thriving and it's crucial that we commit ourselves to bring in economic opportunity while at the same time preserving our history and our environment. This is no small feat, but something I am extremely committed to."

While no one on council at the moment is making any endorsements, Charlottesville City Councilor Meredith Richards says about Joan's entrance into the race,

"It's always good to know that women are interested in running for city council. It's a healthy development. As you are aware, women are historically under represented as candidates for political office."

The phone number for Joan Fenton's Campaign Headquarters is 963-9181.

For more, see "Who is Joan Fenton?"

Waldo Jaquith

What's not to like about Waldo Jaquith?

Committed, earnest, idealistic, perhaps one of the youngest of the candidates, 23-year-old Waldo Jaquith [D] is all about raising the big issues.

Waldo Jaquith at the Water Street Garage

Ten years ago, Waldo's family moved to Free Union, where he attended Western Albemarle High School, before transferring to the Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts, a private alternative school on the Charlottesville downtown mall.

Over the years, Waldo has worked at 3WV, the Java Hut, Comet.Net and as an independent website developer. He has spent hundreds of hours volunteering at Live Arts, and spent every Saturday morning for a couple of years volunteering at the Virginia Discovery Museum and has also hiked the majority of the Appalachian Trail.

For the past few years, Waldo has lived and worked on the Downtown Mall, serving on the boards of FeO2, the Charlottesville Downtown Foundation and the IT Academy in that time.

Asked why he wants to run for city council, Waldo quickly begins talking about racial and economic stratification in Charlottesville, teacher pay and the disenfranchisement of citizens.

At the moment, Waldo has not made up his mind about running for council. He says,

"If I had a committee, I'd declare it to be exploratory. Lacking a committee, I suppose I'm just exploring a run for Council on my own. I'm inexperienced at fund-raising, and in need of somebody to run my campaign.

If I can secure these two things, then I will run for Council. Lacking those, it is likely that an attempt would be fruitless. I will run to win, not to "make a point" (electronic mail, August 28, 2001).

For more, see "Who is Waldo Jaquith?"

Sean O'Brien

Sean O'Brien [D] is a Circuit Rider and Webmaster for the W. Alton Jones Foundation. He lives in the Kellytown neighborhood of Charlottesville, where he and his wife are co-presidents of the neighborhood association. He commutes to work on the bike his wife won for him in a raffle at a bluegrass festival.

Sean O'Brien

Sean graduated from the University of Virginia with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science in 1994 and he completed his B.A. in Environmental Science at UVA in 1988. Since that time, he has worked for the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Princeton and as Finance Director for New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt, before returning to Charlottesville.

Asked why he wishes to run for council, Sean states, that he will use his candidacy to expand the Democratic base as much as possible, reaching out to young people and minorities and that he will pursue a candidacy based on an updated version of the platform the Democrats for Change used in the 2000 campaign for city council.

Observing a recent rally in support of living wage, Sean said,

"I was very excited to see Charlottesville's own social protest in action. This action was just a small part of the larger protests taking place worldwide in support of the environment, social justice and civil rights.

I hope that Charlottesville will be treated to more nonviolent, direct political activism in the future. I also hope the numbers of people and diversity of the participants will increase. The street theatre was sublime and refreshing."

Sean is also a current participant in the Leadership Charlottesville Program run by the Chamber of Commerce.

For more, see "Who is Sean O'Brien?"

Stratton Salidis

Stratton Salidis [I] is widely known for playing guitar and songwriting and has taught a variety of classes through the Living Education Center, the Live Arts Summer Theatre Institute, and the Charlottesville Writing Center.

[L-R] Stratton Salidis with Republican Apostolos (POS) Catsaros at Alumni Hall

Stratton first ran for a seat on the Charlottesville City Council in 2000. After voting in the Democratic nominating process, he announced that he would run as an independent in support of more green space and a pedestrian-friendly environment.

In the 2000 race for city council, Stratton was a vocal critic against the construction of Meadowcreek Parkway and against the Charlottesville pro-business political action committee Opportunity For All, which endorsed three pro-Meadowcreek Parkway City Council candidates: Republicans Jon Bright and Elizabeth Fortune and Democratic incumbent Meredith Richards.

"It's a gross distortion of the political process, of money replacing political participation,' said independent candidate Stratton Salidis, who, as of Monday, had raised less than $100. 'They're [i.e. Opportunity for All] leaning across party lines to further their very specific, self-serving agenda'" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, April 29, 2000).

In the 2000 race, Stratton was a vocal advocate of Democrats for Change candidates Maurice Cox and Kevin Lynch, who were critical of construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway.

At the end of the day, Stratton received less than $100 in kind and with this still managed to receive 317 votes: 43% of the number of votes the number Meadowcreek Parkway supporter Kevin Cox received.

Who says money is everything? All in all, he also managed to bring a little levity into what was often a contentious race.

In 2002, Stratton says the issues he cares about are "how we shape development in the area - particularly with our land use and transportation choices, and also how we help young people prepare themselves for being a positive force in society."

He says, if a candidate emerges in the race who has a better change of winning, who supports these views and is against Meadowcreek parkway, he may drop out and support that person.

On July 27, 2001, Stratton Salidis was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, receiving no fine and a 30 day suspended sentence (Court Report, The Daily Progress, August 29, 2001).

When asked whether he would make legalization of marijuana part of his platform, he responded that he is "not going to focus on the legalization of marijuana because there is not much city council can do about this, and there are even more pressing issues at hand."

"I do however welcome the chance to voice my opposition to the costly and socially destructive prohibition of this plant. Surely we can think of better uses for police time and jail space than assaulting people for smoking pot - a drug much less damaging in every way than alcohol" (electronic mail, August 29, 2001).

For more, see Stratton Salidis' Comments on the State of the City.

Peter Kleeman

Peter Kleeman [D] moved to Charlottesville from Port Jefferson, NY in September 1981, after which he purchased a house on Hedge Street in 1984.

Peter received his S.B. (1969) in Civil Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his S.M. (1973) and Ph.D. (1978) in Environmental Science and Engineering from Harvard University. He has served as an environmental planner and engineer in the Environmental Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and describes himself as Independent Transportation/Environmental Consultant and Researcher. Recently he was invited to serve on the Statewide Intermodal Long-Range Transportation Plan Advisory Committee.

Peter Kleeman at Democrats for Change Forum, January 5, 2000

In 2000, Peter sought the Democratic nomination for city council as a member of Democrats for Change, declaring "'If the city is to sustain itself, we need to come up with new thinking such as alternative transportation,' he said. 'But if you keep on building roads, people won't feel the need to use mass transit because it will be so easy to use cars'" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 1, 2000).

At the Democratic Mass Meeting, "[Maurice] Cox, an incumbent, received 411 total votes at the party's mass meeting, winning 63 delegates" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 22, 2000).

"In his first foray into politics, [Kevin] Lynch finished second, garnering 335 votes and 50 delegates" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 22, 2000).

"Incumbent Vice Mayor Meredith Richards received 281 votes and 48 delegates for third place" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 22, 2000).

"David Simmons finished fourth, receiving 255 votes and 43 delegates; Peter McIntosh garnered 236 votes and 38 delegates" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 22, 2000).

[And] Democrats for Change members Peter Kleeman won 211 votes and 33 delegates, while Lelia Edloe Brown won 141 votes and 21 delegates" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 22, 2000).

At the Democratic Nominating Convention, "incumbent [Maurice] Cox won handily on the meeting's first ballot, as was expected. [Kevin] Lynch received the most votes on the second ballot, with support from 133 delegates, while [Meredith] Richards finished with 109" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 27, 2000).

In the upcoming 2002 city council race, Peter says, fair compensation of council members, popular election of the mayor, and an expanded membership on council are issues that need immediate consideration if we as a community with to ensure creative leadership in City government.

Asked about whether he intends to run for city council in 2002, he replied that it was way too early to be campaigning and way too early for him to make a decision about whether to run.

In the light of the somewhat contentious 2000 Democratic Mass Meeting, a call for consensus on the general format for nominations for council (delegates or one mass meeting) and a call for the Charlottesville Democratic Rules Committee to draft rules for presentation in December 2001 have been placed on the agenda for the Charlottesville Democratic Committee meeting on September 12, 2001.

Jon Bright

Jon Bright [R] is the Chairman of the Virginia State Board for Opticians and Chairman-elect of the National Committee of State Optician Regulatory Board. He has been an active member of the Charlottesville Republican Party for over five years and is a proud supporter of Paul Harris and George Allen.

Jon Bright

In 2000, Jon ran as a Republican along with Elizabeth Fortune and John Pfaltz. He campaigned in support of a lower tax rate and in support of Meadowcreek Parkway.

Around the same time Republicans Jon Bright and Elizabeth Fortune and Democrat Meredith Richards received the endorsement of Opportunity for All, John Pfaltz received the endorsement of Independents and Democrats for Pfaltz, in part on the basis of Pfaltz's opposition to the Meadowcreek Parkway.

In the 2000 council race, the Bright, Fortune & Pfaltz Political Committee received $250 from John Pfaltz, $250 from Friends of Elizabeth Fortune and $325 in contributions less than $100, for a total of 7 contributions. This report was originally filed with the local registrar of voters, but now has been filed with the state board of elections (Sheri L. Iachetta, Office of Voter Registration, April 28, 2000).

Jon D. Bright's Candidate Campaign Committee received $3,050 in contributions over $100, and $345 in contributions under $100, totaling $3,395. The number of contributions over $100 totaled 19, the largest of which came from Opportunity for All PAC ($1,000). Other contributions $100 or over came from Friends of Elizabeth Fortune, former Republican candidate Jane S. Maddux, Reflections Salon, former Charlottesville Republican chair Thomas J. Hill and Albemarle County Democrat Bethe Lipper (Candidate Campaign Committee, Jon D. Bright, April 24, 2000).

Expenditures by the Bright, Fortune & Pfaltz Political Committee totalled $417.99, including $107.14 for campaign assistance and $310.85 for supplies and stamps. $75 each was paid out to Jon Bright for CC and to Friends of Elizabeth Fortune. Expenditures by the Jon D. Bright Campaign Committee totalled $2,296, including $1,846 for media buys and $450 for web page.

Expenditures by Opportunity for All PAC totalled $20,005, including $1,000 to Elizabeth Fortune, $1,000 to Jon Bright, $2,000 to Capital Media, $4,000 for direct mail, and $12,005 for TV/Media buy. $2,000 spent on polling by Capital Media was subsequently refunded.

Democrat Meredith Richards did not accept any direct financial contribution from Opportunity for All PAC, even though she did receive their endorsement, and, in the course of the campaign, Charlottesville Democrats banded together to publicly take credit for the city's downtown economic boom.

In 2000, Democrats running for city council received 8388 votes, Republicans received 5540 votes, and Independents received 1057 votes. The spread between Maurice Cox (D), who received the largest number of votes for a Democrat, and Jon Bright (R), who received the largest number of votes for a Republican was 985 votes. The spread between Jon Bright (R) and Kevin Cox (I), who received the largest number of votes for an Independent was 1206 votes.

Jon Bright (R) received 1946 votes, Elizabeth Fortune (R) received 1793 votes, John Pfaltz (R) received 1701 votes. From the outcome of the vote, it would appear that people did vote for candidates with whom they agree on a wide variety of issues and that votes for and against the Meadowcreek Parkway cancelled one another out.

Republican Will Lyster said about the 2000 race for city council , "It sounds like our 'Viagra' party got a little Prozac mixed in. When you mix Viagra with Prozac, you get a drug called, Don't Get Your Hopes Up.." (Will Lyster, electronic mail, May 4, 2000).

Once the election was over, some Charlottesville business leaders said they were concerned that the newly elected City Council could hinder the city's booming economy.

"'I think this new City Council is going to vote against businesses,' said Lane Bonner, president of Hasbrouck Realty, one of Charlottesville's biggest real estate brokerage firms."

Council members, Bonner predicted, will posture that 'we don't want growth, we don't want development and we don't want expansion. We want to keep Charlottesville small.'"

"Developers in the community, Bonner said, are worried about the future of their projects."
….

"Moments after the election, the owner of D&R, said he felt his group has 'no representation on council.' Businessman Jon Bright, a Republican who finished fourth ... , said, 'I don't think it's sunk in yet how left of center Maurice Cox and Kevin Lynch are'" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, May 4, 2000).

Challenging these assumptions, Democrat Rus Perry called concern by some members of the business community over the massive Democratic Party victory in the City Council elections polarizing and premature.

As for the 2002 Charlottesville City Council race, Jon Bright says "I haven't decided [whether to run], but honestly I have not given it much thought either."

Asked about issues which might crop up, he says, "I guess it would be hard for the Dem.'s to defend the position we can't afford a 2 cent real estate tax cut with a $20,000 dollar rented Christmas tree and a $120,000 narrowing of the major entrance into the heart of the business district" (electronic mail, August 28, 2001).

In the meantime, the Charlottesville Republican Committee is looking for members.

John Pfaltz

John Pfaltz [R] is a University of Virginia computer science professor who ran for council in 2000 in support of "tax cuts, technological infrastructure improvements, and better transportation planning" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, January 26, 2000).

John Pfaltz Observing the Democrats for Change Forum, January 5, 2000

At the time of his candidacy, his community activities had included the presidency of the Lewis Mountain Neighborhood Association and membership on the city's Citizen's School and Transition Zone committees.

He had also contributed to Democratic Sen. Emily Couric's re-election campaign.

As "[a] member of Sensible Transportation Alternatives to the Meadowcreek Parkway, Pfaltz said that construction of the controversial road should be postponed until a regional transportation plan is in place" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, January 26, 2000).

"Calling himself a 'green Republican' in contrast to 'asphalt Democrats,' John Pfaltz [R] said he was against the parkway, which he said would dump highway traffic into Charlottesville. He said Albemarle should build more highway connectors in the county.

Pfaltz asked the group to "'Repudiate the asphalt Democrats and to vote for a Green Republican in May'" (Davide Dukcevich, The Daily Progress, February 10, 2000).

In response to this challenge, John garnered the support of a number of independents and Democrats at the time of the election, including Rich Collins, Martha Gleason, Walter and Content Sablinsky, Susan Bates, and others.

After the election, John Pfaltz admitted he was not actually a dues paying member of the Republican Party, adding that moderates on the right are the key to a conservative win-- that ultra-conservatives 'don't stand a chance' to get elected in the Donk haven that is Charlottesville" (Hawes Spencer, electronic mail, May 1, 2000).

In addition to contributions received by the Bright, Fortune & Pfaltz Political Committee, the John L. Pfaltz Campaign Committee received $2,750.00 in contributions over $100 and $1,170 under $100, totaling $3,920. The number of contributions over $100 totaled 5, the largest of which came from John Pfaltz himself ($1,500) and included a contribution from Independents and Democrats for Pfaltz advocate, Joe Mooney. Contributions under $100 totaled 24 (Candidate Campaign Committee, John L. Pfaltz, April 22, 2000).

In addition to monies spent by the Bright, Fortune & Pfaltz Political Committee, expenditures by the John L. Pfaltz Campaign Committee totalled $4,397.08. Larger items include contributions for media buys ($3,007.05), to Bright, Fortune & Pfaltz PAC of coordinator salary ($250), and to John Bright for CC for web site ($150).

About the city council race in 2002, John Pfaltz says, "I am actively considering another run for City Council, but have not yet made up my mind. I had hoped, instead, that I could get involved in our wonderful city through service on a board or commission. I applied for several. However, I was never selected. No Republican who has applied in the last two years has been selected.

Besides myself, two other Republicans are considering the race next spring. Both are very well qualified. One has definitely decided to run. The other is on the fence as I am. I prefer not to give any names; they might like to make the announcement a kind of media event. However, it will be a contested race this spring."

Recently, some of John Pfaltz's claims were countered by Mayor Blake Caravati, who says, "So called Republicans have been appointed to Boards and Commissions in the last year."

As of July 2001, John Pfaltz was listed as issues chair of the Charlottesville Republican Committee.

Rus Perry

One individual who has said that he will not be a candidate for the Charlottesville City Council in 2002 is Rus Perry [D].

Russell Perry

About the race, he says,

"Competition within the party is generally a healthy thing and tends to increase the inclusiveness of the party. I would encourage any qualified Democrats to throw their hat in the ring. As an officer of the Party, I am available to assist any potential candidates in understanding the process and in connecting with Democrats around town.

I am interested in sharpening our party organization, refining our message, and broadening our constituency. I am not interested in serving as an elected official at this time. I do not have the time or energy for that demanding assignment, and honor those who give so much for the benefit of the rest of us."

One of the best statements which can be found of what Rus believes are important goals for the city can be found in his reply to business leaders about the direction of the Charlottesville Democratic Party just after the 2000 city council election.

Recently, Rus participated in my "Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Mark Warner" series as a Fly Fisherman and his picture can be found in a group shot by Jen Fariello in my own Gun Confessionals.

For more, see Rus Perry's Political Biographical Statement along with his answers to the Proust Questionaire.

Tim Supler

Tim Supler [D] has been a city resident since 1983. He is a member of the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, the Charlottesville Friends Meeting, BMW Car Club of America, and the Cigar Club. He is a fellow at the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership and former member of the City of Charlottesville Planning Commission.

Tim is also interested in hiking, tennis, physics, gardening and bowling.

As of September, Tim will be going back to school full time and is putting his interest in holding political office on the back burner for a while. He has sold both of his BMW's and now drives an 94 Audi with 100,000 miles, as a poor student and all.

It is the community's misfortune that we do not have a Democratic, bowling, cigar smoking, former BMW driving Quaker vying for leadership in the race for the Charlottesville City Council in 2002.

For more on Tim's views, see Dumbing Down of the Electorate.

Kevin Cox

Many of you will be familiar with erstwhile Independent candidate Kevin Cox, widely known for his inciting stimulating irritating vexing views about all things civic.

Having passed up the opportunity to run for the Charlottesville City Council in 1998, Kevin Cox decided to throw his hat into the ring in 2000.

In that race, Kevin highlighted transportation, education and economic issues and was among those who supported the construction of Meadowcreek Parkway.

Kevin was also a clear proponent of economic development. "'I'm tired of the elitist view of Charlottesville as a utopic, quaint community instead of as a down-to-earth city full of people who are living and changing,' he said. Though large shopping complexes are not visually attractive, he said, 'aesthetic preferences are secondary to my ability to feed and clothe my family" (Davide Dukevich, The Daily Progress, January 31, 2000).

At the end of the day, Kevin received $3,943 in contributions, all in amounts of $100 or less! And his expenditures totaled $3,739.04, primarily for media buys.

Kevin received 740 votes out of a 5220 total, coming in behind Republican John Pfaltz's vote count of 1701 and ahead of Independent Stratton Salidis' 317.

"Party activists in both parties said that independent Kevin Cox captured more support from GOP-leaning voters Tuesday than he took away from Democrats. Both [Michael] Crafaik and [Dale] McGlothlin said they had asked Kevin Cox to run as a Republican, but they said that he felt he was a true independent.

[Kevin] Cox captured 740 votes, just 37 fewer than the margin by which Lynch defeated Bright" (Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, May 2, 2000).

As of September 6th, Kevin Cox said he has absolutely, positively no intention of running for City Council in the upcoming election (electronic mail, September 6, 2001).