Ganamos! Thanks to the many volunteers, walkers, phone callers, mail stuffers, number crunchers, yard sign displayers and-especially -- to voters who participated in my surprise Primary challenge this spring, I won, by an overwhelming margin-78.88%. I'm calling it 79%., and I think it's the largest margin in Bernalillo County.
Here's how it broke down:
Total Votes:
Dede Feldman 4,085;
Carlos Cordova 1,094
Early Votes: Dede Feldman 788; Carlos Cordova 147
Absentee: Dede Feldman 614; Carlos Cordova 127
Election night was fun with runners coming in with precinct tallies from polling places from all over the huge district (if you thought District 13 was only in the North Valley, think again). We didn't get results from all the precincts, but the do-it yourself count made the trend clear. And when the absentee and early vote count came in fairly early in the evening (thank you Maggie Toulouse Oliver), it was clear we'd won a smashing victory. The big surprise, of course, was the defeat of two of my fellow Senate incumbents - Sens. Shannon Robinson and James Taylor. Stay tuned for the fall out from that.
There were a lot of my friends and colleagues who said that my victory in this race was a foregone conclusion, and, basically I didn't even need to walk out my door in order to win. Maybe that's what Shannon and James's friends said too. At any rate, I didn't listen to them, because, for me a campaign is about more than winning. It's about building community, making life-long friends, mixing it up with people who are different than you, taking risks and learning about what's really happening at ground level, behind the doors that you would never normally knock on.
Tidbits from the Trail
Here are a few non-political tips and lessons I got from people I met while walking 22 precincts in Senate District 13.
*Did you know that Ravens can talk? Yes, and there is one on Matthew NW. He's the second trained, talking raven in the neighborhood. For more on raven behavior check out Mind of the Raven, by Bernd Heinrich.
* Sometimes you just have to eat quickly, so you can cover more territory. There's a relatively new hot dog stand at the corner of Edith and Mission Ave., and a little white trailer serving great tortillas in the parking lot of the same strip that houses the North Fourth Arts Center at 4th and Griegos. Both places are cheap, fast and good.
* Books recommended by constituents at the door and volunteers:
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, the story of a mountaineer who built 55 schools in a Taliban area of Pakistan.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. This could be the contemporary version of the 60s classic Be Here Now. We all need to do more of this.
Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter-- He's looking better all the time.
What Happened, by Scott McClelland. This was the grand prize for the volunteer who could keep Albuquerque beautiful by bringing back the most Feldman yard signs after the election. The result was a huge pile-up of signs on my front porch, and they are still coming. .
Health and Human Services Committee Goes on the Road
The interim Health and Human Services Committee, which I chair, has resumed its monthly meetings, with the next one scheduled for July 16,17,and 18th in the southern part of the state. We'll be hearing testimony on Medicaid, the State Coverage Insurance Program ( both building blocks of any universal system) as well as the state's Retiree Health program due to run short of money in a few years-just in time for the big influx of boomers. Hopefully, we'll also be hearing about a promising new model of health care in rural areas through a primary care approach now used by the Hidalgo Medical Services. August's meeting will be in Albuquerque 21-23. Topics may include: problems facing veterans and Native Americans in obtaining services here, and behavioral health issues. Call Mike Hely at 505-986-4600 or check the legislative web site for details.
Lost Keys?
Finally, in the final days of the campaign, I found some car keys, which I think are for a Chrysler or a Dodge, in my driveway. I've still got 'em, so if they are yours please give me a call at 242-1997.
Thanks again to everyone for the vote of confidence and support I received during the campaign. I promise that I'll do my best to represent you, and fight for the issues we all hold dear - better schools, quality, affordable health care for everyone, a clean environment, ethics and campaign finance reform. Adelante.
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