I haven't quite recovered from the convention yesterday, but one thing seems clear enough to mention. Rafael Ortega gave the most heartfelt and respectful concession speech at the convention I have ever seen. With basically two candidates for Mayor, months of planning were mainly over in basically one ballot, but Ortega handled it really well. Ortega's supporters lined the back of the stage, and Rafael spoke on key themes - particularly his commitment to diversifying the DFL party.
He pledged his clear support for Chris Coleman, the choice of the delegates. Toward the end of his speech, he invited Chris on stage alongside him, and Chris' supporters intermingled with Ortega's. Ortega moved for a unanimous ballot for Chris Coleman, and Chris delivered his acceptance speech. Chris pledged to continue Rafael's work diversifying the party, highlighting outreach to communities of color as "the party's future".
As a supporter of Rafael, and volunteer for him, I think one of the lasting contributions of Rafael's campaign will be highlighting the work that the DFL needs to do to reach out more to develop both leaders and networks of support within communities of color. I can't do justice to the importance of that here. Rafael was one of the first, if not the first, candidate of color to seek the DFL endorsement for Mayor, and that Citywide focus is critical in underscoring the issue. Rafael's cultural heritage and connectedness has been a key part of who he is.
I really hope to see more minority candidates in coming years for City offices. I don't believe voting just on the basis of race - viewpoint and qualifications are quite important - but if we cultivate more candidates of color, and get more to run, our City offices would better reflect our diversity. The Mayor's office is harder to break into for newer voices, because it requires tons of money and deeper connections. Something for DFL leaders to keep in mind for the future.
Lots of other thoughts, but I haven't sorted them out just yet. Just had to put some of them down while they were still current...
Bob Spaulding Downtown
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