Here’s the analysis of this year’s primary elections that Indy’s political reporters missed.
In the last three primary elections, Rep. André Carson received respectively 89.1 percent, 90.4 percent and May 6th 89.1 percent of votes from Democrats. Unfortunately, Rev. Muoja Ajabu will read that last sentence and be convinced his quixotic primary campaign held Carson’s margin down.
For over three years, Ajabu plotted and planned his campaign against Carson. In 2012, he tried to run as an independent, but failed to get the required number of valid petition signatures.
This time Ajabu took the easy route, entering the Democratic primary, which only requires filling out a form.
Ajabu’s campaign wasn’t about real issues or substantive policy differences with Carson.
Ajabu’s campaign seemed to be a personal vendetta. Ajabu’s ads on Black radio and overnight on WISH/TVChannel 8 were relentlessly negative, slamming Carson for various alleged sins while proclaiming Ajabu’s love and admiration for the late revered Julia Carson; charging her grandson wasn’t living up to her ideals.
Other times Ajabu’s campaign was more about Ajabu, like his bizarre interview on our WTLC-AM (1310) “Afternoons with Amos” where he insisted on reading uninterrupted a multiple page, single space detailed biography of his life and philosophy; while stiff-arming answering listener questions.
Most bizarre were Ajabu’s radio ads attacking Carson for refusing to help his son Kofi, who’s serving 240 years for his involvement in the Carmel 1994 triple murders. The ads included, purportedly, his son Kofi’s voice calling André Carson out for not speaking out against his solitary confinement and “cruel and unusual punishment.”
But, if Kofi Ajabu was experiencing cruel and unusual punishment in his Indiana prison, then why did prison officials allow him to phone in and record that ad?
Many assumed Rev. Muoja Ajabu would finish a poor second to Carson. Instead, Ajabu was a pitiful third place finisher with 782 votes; 3.6 percent of the total, behind relative unknown candidate Curtis Godfrey who had 5.5 percent.
Two years ago, Catherine “Cat” Ping missed by 1,012 votes being the Republican nominee for 7th District Congress; winning just 24.3 percent of the vote. Two years later, she finally achieved victory, beating four other candidates with 35.1 percent of the vote.
This was Ping’s third run for Congress. Not only in 2012, but Ping ran in 2008 where she received 11.4 percent of the vote.
A 33-year Army veteran, who served for a time in Washington where she had, in her words, “top secret clearance,” Ping may be the most conservative Republican opponent André Carson has ever faced. But it remains to be seen how much GOP support Ping will get.
There are several ways to examine the results of the Democratic sheriff primary rematch between Sheriff John Layton and challenger Mark Brown, who is African-American. Last week, Layton won 64.1 percent of the vote compared to Brown’s 35.9 percent.
But four years ago, Layton received 61.4 percent of the vote to Brown’s 38.6 percent.
The relative sameness of that margin puzzles.
After four years in office, Layton’s support among Democrats should’ve increased. The same could be said for Brown.
This time could be tougher as Layton faces an African-American Republican, Emmitt Carney, crafted in the Frank Anderson model of a former federal lawman running for sheriff.
That may have been what prompted Layton to run thousands of TV ads. Not so much to beat Mark Brown, but to lay a foundation against Carney’s expected media onslaught.
Carney spent Election Day not in GOP strongholds, but in the overly Democratic Martindale-Brightwood, Forest Manor and Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhoods in Center Township. For Carney to have a chance in November, he’s gonna have to pull at least 10 to 15 percent of the vote in those precincts and higher totals in Black-majority precincts in Pike, Washington, Lawrence and Wayne townships.
Carney, and county clerk candidate Christine Bischoff who crushed Jocelyn Tandy-Adande in the GOP primary, are the keys to local Republicans trying to break Democrats’ stranglehold on countywide office.
The puzzle is the invisibility of Duane Merchant, an African-American, who’s the GOP candidate against Prosecutor Terry Curry.
Visibility and credibility for Merchant, Carney and GOP county recorder candidate Terry Dove, also Black, are critical if the GOP has any hope of breaking through to capture at least one countywide office other than mayor.
Center Township Small Claims Court Judge Michelle Smith Scott had a potent campaign issue. Scott fought back when Center Township Trustee Eugene Akers and township leaders tried to move Scott’s court from the centrally located City-County Building to the Julia Carson Center on the township’s northern edge.
Scott fought them in court and won a definitive Supreme Court ruling.
Her victory angered party leaders who endorsed attorney Brenda Roper against Scott.
Scott should’ve known going up against the Center Township Democratic machine was an uphill battle.
Why she didn’t use the facts of her victory is a mystery? It may have been the rules that restrict what judicial candidates can and can’t say in campaigning that hamstrung Scott.
If so, that’s a shame. Use of the truth could’ve helped Scott beat back the party’s onslaught. Instead, Roper easily won with a two-to-one margin ending Scott’s 12 years service as judge.
It’s going to be an interesting November election.
See ‘ya next week.
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
