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November 8, 2006
Oh yeah: Mike Nifong
If there is one local race that got my blood moving, if only a little, it was the effort to remove our District Attorney Mike Nifong (of the Duke Rape Case fame). Though Nifong is a Democrat, the real issue in this election is was* his character : there are many around Durham who feel that he trumped up charges against the Duke students because political reality (he was an unknown trailing Frida Black in the Democratic primary in a heavily African American city) dictated that he do so. (Of course, there are others who do not feel this way.)
Says the local rag (the News and Observer) of Nifong's opponents:
They can pick Lewis Cheek, a Democratic County commissioner on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. Cheek says he is an alternative to Nifong but promises that he will not accept the job if he gets the most votes.
Or voters can select Steve Monks, the chairman of the county's Republican Party. Monks' name doesn't appear on the ballot but has to be written in on a blank line. Unlike, Cheek, Monks says he will take the job.
The results of the race:
Mike Nifong (D) 26,116
Lewis Cheek (Una) 20,875
Steve Monks-WI (R) 6,193
(56 of 56 precincts reporting)
Nifong may have gotten the most votes, but given the setup of this whole gig isn't this like coming close to losing to a dead guy?
*The results above leave me totally satisfied that the issue has been settled...totally.
Posted by dag at November 8, 2006 11:24 PM