Report This!: Writer and (Former) Journalist Joe Wessels personal blog

Democrats looking for a quitter

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Wendell Young marches – as the very last entry – in the 2007 Northside Independence Day Parade.
Photo by Joe Wessels Â© 2007.

Got in touch with Wendell Young, retired Cincinnati police officer and second time candidate for Cincinnati City Council. He confirmed that he was asked “about three weeks ago” to step aside so Cincinnati Democrats could endorse another candidate. He was not told who the new candidate would be, and was told he should run – and would be supported – for the Cincinnati School Board instead.

But he had some news for Dem party leaders: Wendell Young isn’t a quitter.

He said that it isn’t that he doesn’t support education or cares for the Cincinnati Public Schools – his wife is a teacher – but that he is serious about winning Nov. 6. He was bothered that two other candidates, both running for the first time endorsed by the party for Council – Brian Garry and Greg Harris – were not asked before him.

“I am very upset with (party leaders) right now,” he said.

He said he is also upset that he was not told that it was Roxanne Qualls he was being asked to make room for. Though that would have been a consideration, he said, in the end it would not have changed his mind.

He added that he feels the field needs a strong black male candidate and that he represents that. Party officials apparently expressed concern that he would “play the race card” if he was asked – or forced – to not run. That is something he said he neither considered nor would ever do.

Young does not know if any other candidates have been approached about withdrawing from the race since his refusal.

But Young’s contention that he was asked three weeks ago certainly raises some major red flags with the truthiness of some of my sources.

Comments

6 responses to “Democrats looking for a quitter”

August 13, 2007

Jackie Danicki

The Democrats expected him to play the race card just because he’s black? Or does Young have past form on this which would have led them to come to such a nasty (and, I would say) racist conclusion?

What a sordid bunch.
August 13, 2007

SW

Young is wrong: they desperately want Garry to step aside. The only reason they turned to Young is because he’s fucking lazy. He barely campaigns and raises no money. They genuinely thought he wanted an out because he has shown no effort.
August 14, 2007

Joe Wessels

Jackie– I don’t know if it was said explicitly or if Young got a hint, but he said it was an issue.
August 14, 2007

Wha’eva

Well, Garry ran in 2003 so this is his first run as an endorsed Democrat. Unlike Young Garry is also endorsed by the AFL-CIO.

Crowley sat out 1999 so Luken could run, but they made that deal before the slate was announced.

I say the Dems live with and support their announced ticket. They can always endorse Qualls the next time.
August 14, 2007

SW

Young really sinks to a new low when he whines about Harris or Garry not being asked to step aside. He should’ve insisted the Dem’s stick with their endorsed slate of 9 rather than redirecting the issue and looking petty by undermining two fellow challengers. Qualls didn’t seek the Dem endorsement, so why undermine your own endorsed slate by trying to get one to step down? It’s too bad Young didn’t make the bigger point.

As for the Dem’s, Caleb Faux needs to be reigned in. His psuedo-operative bullshit is undermining the very Dem’s he needs to help.
August 14, 2007

luke

So he’d rather be a loser than a quitter? Let’s be serious, here. There are, what, 14 big-name candidates (encumbents, former councilmembers, or congressional candidates) running this year?

If Young wants to improve his chances in the future, he should run for school board. He’ll get more name recognition that way, or else be the bigger blacker Spencer.