Race for second place
July 16, 2008 at 11:46 am by Mara Shalhoup in NewsAs expected, the two challengers who took on U.S. Rep. John Lewis in yesterday’s Democratic primary were battling for second place. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Lewis commanded a solid 69.1 percent of the vote.
Unexpectedly, though, political newbie the Rev. Markel Hutchins appears to have edged out longtime state Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas, with 15.9 percent of the vote to her 15 percent.
In a CL cover story published three weeks ago, we foresaw a different outcome:
Compared to Hutchins, Thomas is the stronger candidate. She’s an experienced campaigner who’s won eight races – and was thrashed by Lewis when she challenged him back in 1992. She has a firm base of support in Vine City and on the Westside. And simply by virtue of her gender, she’s likely to win support from some women voters.
It would be a shock if Hutchins even managed to beat Thomas for second place – much less if he came in first.
Call us shocked. We stand corrected.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
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