View Full Version : Ed Shadid Wins Ward 2 Race



MikeOKC
04-05-2011, 07:19 PM
Dr. Ed Shadid has defeated Charlie Swinton for Oklahoma City's Ward 2 council spot.

Ed Shadid ---------3,134---62%

Charlie Swinton----1,888---38%

39 of 39 precincts reporting @ 8:20pm

dmoor82
04-05-2011, 07:24 PM
WOW!Thats an impressive margin!

betts
04-05-2011, 07:27 PM
Basically, it's a mandate. As I said on another thread, now we have a voice for our younger, more liberal citizens. I think that's a good thing.

Patrick
04-05-2011, 07:30 PM
Glad to hear this news! Glad the creap didn't win.

betts
04-05-2011, 07:34 PM
It also doesn't break my heart for the Chamber to learn that you can't always win just by throwing money at something and slinging a little mud. There are people in this city with concerns that don't mirror the Chamber, and they deserve a voice too.

Doug Loudenback
04-05-2011, 07:39 PM
Mayor Cornett showed up at the end of the watch party. That's a good thing. Dr. Shadid complimented him on his weight-loss initiative. Oddly, the 1st announcement of the win came from a live Washington DC (I think) telephone call from Ralph Nader, congratulating Shadid on the victory. I took some cell-phone video but it was dark and I don't know how well it will turn out.

Midtowner
04-05-2011, 07:52 PM
Momentum thought it could run the same campaign in every ward and expect a win. This shows that there is a diverse population in OKC, not just in terms of ethnicity, but in terms of political views. Good for Shadid.

bornhere
04-05-2011, 08:50 PM
It also doesn't break my heart for the Chamber to learn that you can't always win just by throwing money at something and slinging a little mud. There are people in this city with concerns that don't mirror the Chamber, and they deserve a voice too.

Amen to that.

circuitboard
04-05-2011, 09:29 PM
I live in Ward 2, as a young liberal professional in OKC this makes me happy. :)

Doug Loudenback
04-05-2011, 09:40 PM
It makes an old liberal professional happy, too. Did you think a group with such an identification did not exist? :dizzy:

Larry OKC
04-05-2011, 09:58 PM
Mayor Cornett showed up at the end of the watch party. That's a good thing. Dr. Shadid complimented him on his weight-loss initiative. Oddly, the 1st announcement of the win came from a live Washington DC (I think) telephone call from Ralph Nader, congratulating Shadid on the victory. I took some cell-phone video but it was dark and I don't know how well it will turn out.

Cornett showed up at Shadid's watch party? I got the impression from a recent Swinton piece that Cornett had endorsed Swinton??

dankrutka
04-05-2011, 09:58 PM
I'm very happy. It can be so discouraging being around some of the social conservative nonsense (I have no problem with fiscal conservatives/liberterians) as a liberal. It's very nice to see that OKC's city council has rid itself of the nutjobs and can get some work done...

rcjunkie
04-06-2011, 03:53 AM
Cornett showed up at Shadid's watch party? I got the impression from a recent Swinton piece that Cornett had endorsed Swinton??

That's just one reason Cornett is so succesful, just because he endorsed Swinton, he's man enough to give gongrats to Shadid. Cornett's never been one to tuck tail and hide when things go against his wishes.

Larry OKC
04-06-2011, 04:19 AM
Hats off to Cornett. Common courtesy for the candidate to call and offer congrats but I have never heard of a supporter doing it. I'm not really sure that he had endorsed Swinton (but the piece I read certainly would lead to that conclusion).

Spartan
04-06-2011, 04:25 AM
What a month for the Shadid family.

I wonder if OKC has ever had a councilor with the potential to be such a real advocate..this is exciting.

bornhere
04-06-2011, 07:01 AM
I wonder if OKC has ever had a councilor with the potential to be such a real advocate..this is exciting.


Every councilor has had that potential. Most prefer getting invited to the right cocktail parties. But Mark Schwartz and Eric Groves, who both represented Ward 2, were strong advocates.

While I did not want to see the teabagger candidates win, I also don't support this 'unified council' approach. If we're going to insist that council members always vote the same way on everything, we don't even need a council. We cn just make Roy Williams emperor of Oklahoma City and streamline the process.

kevinpate
04-06-2011, 07:15 AM
Congrats to the winner's crew. As to the money rollers on the other side ... maybe they shoulda played powerball instead.

USG'60
04-06-2011, 07:18 AM
I'm a libertarian that is thrilled with the outcome. Thank the Lord it went this way.

OKCMallen
04-06-2011, 09:25 AM
I never got a feel for Shadid's stances, so as a cautiously optimistic libertarian, what can I expect?

Urban Pioneer
04-06-2011, 10:22 AM
I never got a feel for Shadid's stances, so as a cautiously optimistic libertarian, what can I expect?

More transit

OKCMallen
04-06-2011, 11:24 AM
That's good. Is he anti-future-MAPS-votes?

Urban Pioneer
04-06-2011, 11:55 AM
No. But my guess is that an item like the Convention center will be hard to pass in the future. He believes in reinvesting in our neighborhoods. I'll post his Gazette as that Doug put online.

Urban Pioneer
04-06-2011, 11:58 AM
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/CityCouncilElections/shadidad_gazette_march29s.jpg (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/CityCouncilElections/shadidad_gazette_march29.jpg)

urbanity
04-06-2011, 01:27 PM
Shadid’s surge

Ed Shadid defeats Charlie Swinton in OKC’s Ward 2 runoff election

http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-11300-shadid%E2%80%99s-surge.html

Doug Loudenback
04-06-2011, 02:27 PM
/v/JzWgJ05LTL4?version=3

Hunt4Mayor
04-06-2011, 07:08 PM
:-) finally.

MikeOKC
04-06-2011, 09:13 PM
I just listened to Shadid's speech above. I can't believe he actually used the term, "plutocratic" at a victory rally in Oklahoma redstate City! Hey, I consider myself a libertarian in many ways, but I loved hearing him call it what it was - a plutocratic act of desperation. He even told them they should, "Stand down and remove yourselves from the election process." He named a few names, too. Well worth the listen. I'm shocked The Oklahoman left out some of these choice quotes. Dr. Shadid is bringing some serious kahunas to the city council. He made it clear he will be no wallflower and plans to question the good old boy system of power for the privileged. And no, I don't mean rich versus poor, the productive versus the parasites, I only mean the extremely wealthy versus...well...everybody else!

Doug Loudenback
04-07-2011, 08:38 AM
I've closed out this election's blog posts with this last one: http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2011/04/ed-shadid-wins-ward-2.html ... and now I'll get back to history. My transcription of the recorded part of Dr. Shadid's victory speech is the following:




... ran a brilliant campaign. A candidate is the voters — they want quality positions, not on fear, and smear, and manipulation, and innuendo.

I am asking, I am asking those corporate and plutocratic interests, a very, a small number of people to stand down and remove yourself from the election process – the Chesapeakes, the Devons, the Audrey McLendons, the Larry Nichols – those – I don't mean to call people out by name except for them but I ... [laughter interrupts]

Leave us alone. We are capable of making informed, intelligent decisions with our neighborhood associations, with our forums. Do not insult our intelligence with cartoons and falsehoods and insult us and ridicule us. Let us make our own decisions. [applause]

I want to applaud the firefighters. [applause] The firefighters have noticed this kind of outside interference, and they fought and they spoke up before, and I think now that everybody has kinda scratched their head and noticed that something's not right with these hundreds and hundreds of thousands — now we can look back and say maybe these firefighters have a story to tell. [applause] Now, they led example, and they stood down in the runoff. They had the financial wherewithal to join the fight and they wanted to because they understood that one candidate was independent and wanted open and uncensored government. They decided that this is not healthy for the city and they did not spend money in the runoff and I think that is, that is ... sets an example for all the other interests who want to influence [inaudible].

This will be a test case for citizenry [?] – the impact of Citizens United at the municipal level. It will replicate itself across the country, and that's why it was so important to win tonight. [applause]
I am troubled that so few people vote in municipal elections, particularly since municipal government can affect them most directly and it is the election in which voters have the most control. And that is the location of my sole criticism of Dr. Shadid, which I intend be taken constructively:




A Reflection Upon What Can Be Learned From This Campaign. Reflecting upon voter turnout, upon the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum and upon plutocracy, I'll close my discussion of the Ward 2 election upon a more somber point, but a point which I hope may find a constructive home, that being my intent.



My only criticism of Dr. Shadid, as revealed during this campaign, is that he did not vote in recent city government elections. In a democracy, it is precisely that type of a political environment — one in which only a small percentage of the electorate is motivated to vote — that enables a plutocracy to exist in the first place. If a handful of very affluent citizens — for purposes of illustration, let's say that the number is 10, which would be 1/4 of 1% (0.025%) of the ward 2 electorate — has the potential of backing their candidate to victory by an unbridled outpouring of money into a shadow campaign (as occurred in 3 of the 4 ward elections and not knowing if the successful candidates wouldn't have won, anyway), plutocrats have an easier thing to accomplish if voter apathy is high. Such a result would presumably be much less likely if, for example, votes cast were 30,000 (75%) instead of 5,022 (13%) of the electorate.

Hopefully, candidate, now council member, Shadid, will take this to heart and learn that, generally, [B][I]no good reason exists not to exercise both the right and the obligation to vote, even if one feels disenfranchised, and, perhaps, then most especially. In not doing so, he and around 85-89% of all registered votes defaulted in their responsibility as voters, assuming that all such voters favored the democratic form of government. Now, having learned what can be done with a campaign based upon issues that resonate with the voters, perhaps Dr. Shadid will now teach his followers and other citizens to learn from his earlier mistakes in that regard.
In a democracy, every vote counts and, unless we the voters allow it differently, each vote has only a value of one.

soonerguru
04-07-2011, 10:35 PM
I have been unable to comment for a day or so due to a heavy schedule, but it cannot be overstated how big of a moment this is in OKC. A good friend of mine summed it up this way: "We have nothing to complain about any more." He meant it in a lighthearted way, but also seriously. Really. We don't.

This city is moving forward. This city is progressing in ways I could have only imagined a decade ago.

On Tuesday, the citizens of Ward 2 used their brains and voted for the better candidate, despite a blitzkrieg of money and dirty campaigning against him. In that, they bucked the odds. And in so doing, they elected a guy who will offer a degree of diverse thinking our council needs.

Also on Tuesday, our council unanimously voted in favor of the streetcar route framework.

These are huge advances. Major cultural changes.

I'm not entirely sure I can speak to all of the effects of the Shadid election yet, as it is so fresh, but there was a spark at his political rally and an even bigger spark at his watch party that represents a dynamism in OKC that I always thought was here, but was somehow just dispirited and buried.

Shadid's election is more than symbolic. It is a lightning rod of excitement for urbanists and progressives who live in our central city but have -- like Shadid himself -- been unlikely to vote or participate.

Now, we have an open and active progressive community that exists alongside a vibrant business community. We are seeing neighborhoods reborn and an explosion of creativity.

We are witnessing an astonishing rebirth of our downtown, and an introduction of real transit.

These are not minor moves. This is a cultural earthquake.

Oklahoma may be among the most conservative states in the union, with a vexing and bottom-feeding array of social stigmas, but by God let's make OKC our state's -- and region's -- oasis. It should have been that way always. Now it is moving inexorably in that direction.

Welcome, Dr. Shadid. Your courage and brilliance are welcomed by more than your progressive kin. You've received the toasts of conservatives, libertarians, and even Tea Partiers for your grace, skill and intelligence. I'm sure you'll provide outstanding leadership to all of the citizens of your ward and the citizens of this city.

Doug Loudenback
04-08-2011, 02:36 AM
soonerguru, did we meet at either of Shadid's events? I met several people with "real names" but I don't know who, if anyone, to match up with a pseudo-name in this forum.

Spartan
04-08-2011, 06:09 AM
I have been unable to comment for a day or so due to a heavy schedule, but it cannot be overstated how big of a moment this is in OKC. A good friend of mine summed it up this way: "We have nothing to complain about any more." He meant it in a lighthearted way, but also seriously. Really. We don't.

This city is moving forward. This city is progressing in ways I could have only imagined a decade ago.

On Tuesday, the citizens of Ward 2 used their brains and voted for the better candidate, despite a blitzkrieg of money and dirty campaigning against him. In that, they bucked the odds. And in so doing, they elected a guy who will offer a degree of diverse thinking our council needs.

Also on Tuesday, our council unanimously voted in favor of the streetcar route framework.

These are huge advances. Major cultural changes.

I'm not entirely sure I can speak to all of the effects of the Shadid election yet, as it is so fresh, but there was a spark at his political rally and an even bigger spark at his watch party that represents a dynamism in OKC that I always thought was here, but was somehow just dispirited and buried.

Shadid's election is more than symbolic. It is a lightning rod of excitement for urbanists and progressives who live in our central city but have -- like Shadid himself -- been unlikely to vote or participate.

Now, we have an open and active progressive community that exists alongside a vibrant business community. We are seeing neighborhoods reborn and an explosion of creativity.

We are witnessing an astonishing rebirth of our downtown, and an introduction of real transit.

These are not minor moves. This is a cultural earthquake.

Oklahoma may be among the most conservative states in the union, with a vexing and bottom-feeding array of social stigmas, but by God let's make OKC our state's -- and region's -- oasis. It should have been that way always. Now it is moving inexorably in that direction.

Welcome, Dr. Shadid. Your courage and brilliance are welcomed by more than your progressive kin. You've received the toasts of conservatives, libertarians, and even Tea Partiers for your grace, skill and intelligence. I'm sure you'll provide outstanding leadership to all of the citizens of your ward and the citizens of this city.

Good post. I'm trying to put this into context...this is a city council ward we're talking about. These are not usually high-profile or even exciting races. In terms of power politics, it doesn't mean much, it's just one seat on a council, albeit equally as powerful as Mayor Mick if he chooses to be outspoken. It means something in terms of popular vibe and people politics though. This is a much bigger event given the forces that Shadid overcame.

It's nice for me because so many of us progressives are growing tired of having to attach ourselves and our agenda to the business agenda. Having to latch onto the chamber agenda and live and die by how progressive the business execs are willing to go isn't the way an urban city should work, although that is the way things have worked here for so long because the alternative is very scary (the anti-business rednecks) and much less progressive, and I guess we have generally been lucky to have such progressive business leaders for a red state capital.

I also like to think of this in comparison to other cities, chiefly, Tulsa. Every week the political situation in Tulsa gets worse. And not to play the politics card again (because I really don't care about R v. D) but in Tulsa you do have a council that is overwhelmingly R. Compare it to OKC which has a council that is now overwhelmingly D. The only thing that Tulsa has ever united itself politically for, in the last 15 years, is ousting the current mayor. There is truly a situation of terrible leadership there, and so politically charged. Here in OKC things are so peaceful, not just compared to Tulsa, but even compared to "normal cities" which are also shocked to hear about Tulsa. We have good leaders, whether they be our political opportunist mayor, or our liberal councilors representing their wards. We have a very, very good city council.

And I really love what betts said earlier on here. That has been going through my head lately as I walk around here. OKC just elected a truly progressive, Sierra Club-backed councilman who talks about sustainability, we're getting real public transit, and bicycle lanes HAVE been spotted in OKC. Things are truly going to hell in a handbasket... I think that's profound. OKC is seriously taking care of business, and things have never been better. Amazing, especially at a time when this level of optimism is so rare across the country.

Bunty
04-08-2011, 10:30 AM
Some of ward 2 is in the district of Oklahoma's only openly gay state legislator, so not real surprising that ward 2 would vote for someone who isn't conservative for city council. It's surely a good time for someone like Shadid to be an OKC councilman.

barnold
04-08-2011, 09:26 PM
Doug,

Wonderful post. I hope that we can start to see some healing but it's gonna take some time and actions rather than lip service with the firefighters. We've been well aware of the "outside interference" since the Humphreys era but no one seems to care until it affects them. Well, it's been affecting us for quite some time and I finally get to say to all those Naysayers "I told you so". Unfortunately one well qualified council person does not make the horseshoe any different than prior to the race. Big money and political influence still hold two candidates beholding to them from this race and will be present for future council races. Will people remember? I doubt it, but we'll keep plugging away.

Thank you for all you do on this site in spreading an unbiased view of what is really going on behind the scenes. You are one of very few who have the "big picture".

Doug Loudenback
04-08-2011, 09:34 PM
Thanks!

Hunt4Mayor
04-11-2011, 09:50 PM
Some of ward 2 is in the district of Oklahoma's only openly gay state legislator, so not real surprising that ward 2 would vote for someone who isn't conservative for city council. It's surely a good time for someone like Shadid to be an OKC councilman.

Who interestingly was a HUGE Swinton supporter...

soonerguru
04-11-2011, 10:31 PM
Who interestingly was a HUGE Swinton supporter...

I think that may have had something to do with the fact that Swinton has supported Al's campaigns financially in the past in his role as BancFirst lobbyist.

Spartan
04-12-2011, 04:48 AM
Yeah, that was a dumb point, Bunty.

Hunt4Mayor
04-13-2011, 05:59 AM
I think that may have had something to do with the fact that Swinton has supported Al's campaigns financially in the past in his role as BancFirst lobbyist.

Anyone who supported him did so for hilarious reasons (http://okedwatch.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-think-swinton-is-chamberbot-i-agree.html)

BoulderSooner
04-13-2011, 07:17 AM
funny that he wants the larry nichols types to not be involved but the fire and police unions are welcome in the process at any time. If one group has the right to be involved than all groups should, and individuals have every right to be in the process .. wether it is walking the district or giving the 5,000 bucks

Mikemarsh51
04-13-2011, 05:56 PM
Bouldersooner, a big difference in this is the Firefighters told you who they were. The momentum folks are hidden under many layers. No idea who they are!

soonerguru
04-13-2011, 09:38 PM
Also boulder, you must have missed the part where Shadid turned down their offers to support his campaign financially.

BoulderSooner
04-14-2011, 08:08 AM
Bouldersooner, a big difference in this is the Firefighters told you who they were. The momentum folks are hidden under many layers. No idea who they are!


so did the people he called out

"I am asking, I am asking those corporate and plutocratic interests, a very, a small number of people to stand down and remove yourself from the election process – the Chesapeakes, the Devons, the Audrey McLendons, the Larry Nichols – those – I don't mean to call people out by name except for them but I ... [laughter interrupts]"


they gave their own money .. and chesapeake gave from its pac ... in the open daylight ..

metro
04-14-2011, 09:08 PM
I understand his patients haven't been getting very good service lately. My dad is a new patient of his and has gone in for some outpatient procedures twice in the last couple weeks and he hasn't even MET Dr. Shadid, he had his nurses do a fairly delicate procedure, but he sure didn't hesitate to promote his election in his office.

Larry OKC
04-14-2011, 09:34 PM
so did the people he called out

"I am asking, I am asking those corporate and plutocratic interests, a very, a small number of people to stand down and remove yourself from the election process – the Chesapeakes, the Devons, the Audrey McLendons, the Larry Nichols – those – I don't mean to call people out by name except for them but I ... [laughter interrupts]"


they gave their own money .. and chesapeake gave from its pac ... in the open daylight ..

If you are talking about donations directly to the Swinton campaign, you are correct (as required by law).

If you are talking about the money they gave indirectly to Momentum (where they can legally remain hidden if they desire), not so much.

soonerfan_in_okc
04-20-2011, 08:17 AM
can someone give a quick breakdown of the city councilors and their political affiliation?

BoulderSooner
04-20-2011, 09:08 AM
can someone give a quick breakdown of the city councilors and their political affiliation?

the council races are nonpartisan .... so it is a little hard to say ... clearly the mayor is a repub my guess is that shadid, salyer, kelly are dems

white, mcatee, greenwell, and ryan are repubs don't know about Marrs .. ...

the key point is that for a long time now the majority of the council has acted together, in a nonpartisan way, for the best interests of OKC and its residents

Urban Pioneer
04-20-2011, 11:24 AM
White is a democrat
Shadid is an independent

and yes, the non-partisan nature of our city council is one of the things that make it great and functional.

Hunt4Mayor
04-20-2011, 11:43 AM
"...and yes, the non-partisan nature of our city council is one of the things that make it great and functional. "

I think it's "functional" because they don't deal with things like abortion and gay marriage. They deal with neoliberal economic decisions and they're typically all for those things, just like the people who deal with things like abortion and gay marriage are for the most part.

OkieDave
04-26-2011, 05:00 PM
Marrs - R
Shadid - I
Mcatee - R
White - D
Salyer - R
Kelly - D
Ryan - R
Cornett - R