Jass Stewart Pulls It Off
By Keith Boykin, in politics
Wednesday, September 21 2005, 5:11PM
It's official. Jass Stewart won nearly 30 percent of the vote and finished second in the mayoral primary race yesterday in Brockton, Mass., which enables him to move on to the general election in November.
In an email Stewart sent earlier today, he reported the results: "I’ve advanced to the November 8 election!!! We earned 29 percent of the vote in a four-person race. The team has already started our outreach efforts."
After a recent mayoral debate, the local newspaper, the Brockton Enterprise, quoted residents as being very impressed by Stewart. "It seemed Jass Stewart was the standout candidate," said Pat O’Connor. "He was well prepared on every question. He had a clear plan."
When last we met Stewart in March, he spoke about his campaign manager. "I rely on his advice for almost everything. He’s the rudder of this campaign. As my life-long partner, Denzil always keeps me level-headed. When the people you love are in it with you, the rough roads of campaign life go by that much smoother," he said.
If elected, Stewart would be the first African American or LGBT mayor in the history of Brockton. He would also become only the third elected black gay mayor in the nation. Ken Reeves served as mayor of Cambridge, Mass. in the 1990s and Ron Oden currently serves as mayor of Palm Springs, California.
For more information, visit his website at www.jassstewart.com.
Comments conceal
jaymillion
September 22 2005, 2:04AM
I just contributed $$$, and I live in Los Angeles. Your turn.
Bernie
September 22 2005, 9:29AM
There was a Black lesbian running for some office out in Oakland, I believe. Do you know anything about her race?
And Barbara Smith won her primary for City Council from District 4 up in Albany last week.
Mark
September 24 2005, 2:08AM
Bernie,
Peggy Moore ran for city council in a special election for one of Oakland's council district after its openly gay Chinese-American council member Danny Wan retired in the middle of his term. Keith profiled Peggy back in March ( http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/001339.html )
Unfortunately she lost. Danny Wan and several other generally progressive voices in Oakland came out for her major opponent, a middle-aged straight white woman who was on Danny's staff.
Roger
September 26 2005, 5:21PM
GO JASS!!
You have supporters nationwide.
Ravi Perry
September 26 2005, 9:58PM
CONGRATULATIONS! This is a major accomplishment and will be an even greater one once he wins. We need all blacks in the regional area to back him!! As a Black male Political Science graduate student with a lot of experience on local campaigns, this is not a long shot---he is very very much in the running and all the stops should be pulled out---not because of his social group memberships, but because his platform and social group affiliations would add a new touch to the city--and I don't even know him. Buena Suerte!