By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, January 17 at 6:57 AM
Sen. Maida Coleman, who last week delivered the Democrats' statewide response to Gov. Matt Blunt's State of the State address and who in November formed a committee to run for state auditor, is now thinking about running for license collector.
The city's longtime collector of revenue, Ron Leggett, is expected to retire. Current License Collector Gregory F.X. Daly has said that he will be running for Leggett's post. That leaves Daly's post up for grabs. And if Coleman is elected to another post before the end of her senate term, the city's Democratic leaders (mostly from the south side of the city) will likely choose her successor.
Coleman, who because of term limits is serving her last term in the senate, may believe she has a better shot at the lower profile city job after her chances of winning the statewide auditor post were severly damaged in recent weeks with reports of her personal financial troubles which resulted in her filing for bancruptcy several years ago.
It also doesn't help that she has only raised a little over $30,000 in her auditor's campaign, while the other Democrat in the race, Susan Montee, already has more than half a million dollars in the bank and experience as the auditor in Buchanan County.
But the lowering of goals is not enough to ensure Coleman will have a job in 2008. Should she decide to run for license collector, she will likely face Ald. Mike McMillan (19th Ward) in the primary. McMillan had nearly $150,000 on hand at the time of his October filing report.
2 Comments:
Why isn't Coleman considering a run for the Collector of Revenue job?
What is the logic in putting two African-American candidates against each other in the License Collector race?
8:47 AM, January 18, 2006
I completely agree that it does not make sense for two strong black candidates to go head-to-head for such a placeholder position. But it has been noted several times on this blog that there is no coherent strategy for African-Americans to transform their majority status into political control of this city. There remains a sad leadership vacuum.
It should also be noted that Maida Coleman has drawn most of her power from the same southside political machine that elevated Francis Slay to the mayor's office. When Sen. Paula J. Carter passed away, her son Alderman Greg Carter wanted his mother's spot in the state senate. Also in contention was then-State Rep. Louis Ford. And representing southside and downtown interests was Maida Coleman.
Carter dropped out of the contest and threw his support behind Ford. And Ford would have gotten it if not for some last minute wheeling and dealing that culminated in a very dramatic break in the 19th Ward that had Committeeman Occie Haynes breaking from his alderman to support Coleman.
His alderman was Mike McMillan.
Now this part is pure speculation, but some in that southside machine are probably fearful of a man like McMillan. Young, handsome, talks black, passes for white, well-financed, and smart. Sounds like a future mayoral contender to me.
10:24 AM, January 18, 2006
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