Column: Looking back at a historical election

Pigs must have been flying over Kinston on Tuesday. That’s the only phenomenon to explain the results of the city election giving the mayor’s chair to Republican B.J. Murphy.

Historic? Massively. Change? Without a doubt. A new day in Kinston? Still to be determined.

So many factors went into this election that it’s difficult to name the single element most responsible for Murphy’s election. He had a well-organized campaign, enthusiastic volunteers and he presented a thoughtful, reasoned approach to issues facing the city.

But his Democratic opponent Jimmy Cousins also ran a good campaign. He, too, offered thoughtful approaches to solving the city’s problems. Experienced in city issues, Cousins had few glitches in his public presentations. And he is a gentleman.

Earl Harper’s message was mixed and muddled. He never gave a clear answer on forced annexation, and failed to give solid opinions on several other city issues. He asked voters to trust his “integrity” and, as far as party affiliation, kept referring to himself as a “Kinstonian.”

The Democrats’ ouster of Cousins as a candidate might have been the biggest decider in Tuesday’s election. Apparently, the party’s leaders never heard the old adage, “Divide and conquer.” They divided and Republicans conquered.

Murphy, as one political observer said, had an expandable base. Power politics undermined what should have been Cousins’ base. Harper, the unaffiliated candidate who had Democrats’ backing, had a small base comprised mostly of his friends and family, and his record was not good. He never won a race in which he had a challenger. This time, he had two.

Democrats failed to get black voters sufficiently interested. Their participation was low and those who did turn out received mixed messages. Until Tuesday they had been encouraged for generations to vote for the person with the “D” by his name. Suddenly, the rules had changed. Not enough got the word, or too few listened. Or, maybe they figured their vote was worth more than a hot dog.

One of the least discussed factors might be the non-partisan vote issue. If Harper hadn’t feared the U.S. Department of Justice would uphold the decision, he might have changed his party from Republican to Democrat instead of unaffiliated. That could have allowed Democrats to support him without drawing the ire of the state party, or even local party members. As we all know, the DOJ overturned voters’ decision, to the delight of many Democrats, and Harper ran with a “U” behind his name.

The lesson for Democrats? Be careful what you wish for.

Winning an election is one thing. Follow-through, as we all know, is quite a different animal. We all will watch, as if our lives depend on it, how Murphy follows through. Because, in truth, our lives do depend on it. Every resident and taxpayer will be affected by how he manages to pull together all members of the City Council to make the right decisions for Kinston.

Murphy’s success, or failure, will depend as much on the council as it does on him. We’ll watch together to see how big this tent becomes, and how many people Murphy can fit inside. We’ll watch to see if principles give sway to expediency and if Murphy continues to grow, as he did during the campaign, after he occupies the mayor’s chair.

Lee Raynor is a former managing editor of The Free Press, a Kinston resident and enjoys watching political games. The opinions of the guest columnist are not necessarily those of The Free Press.