Joy beat anxiety at the Sacramento party for mayoral hopeful, Flojaune Cofer | Opinion
Down the winding stairs and into the basement at a mini-golf-themed pub in Downtown Commons, the Election Night party for Sacramento's progressive mayoral candidate Flo Cofer was a small spot of joy in a sea of anxiety that was sweeping the nation.
Outside the pub's walls, the nation's presidential election seemed ready to careen into despair at any moment, but inside was a different story, as Cofer's supporters clung to community and hope.
The bar was busy and loud, and around 9 p.m., almost an hour after the first numbers were released by the county registrar's office, Cofer danced her way to the stage accompanied by shouts of "Flo! Flo! Flo!" from exuberant supporters.
"I'm trying to take this in for a moment," she said first, observing the crowd rooting for her.
Though the first tabulation of ballots showed Cofer down in the race by a little more than 13%, the energy in the room was high and many supporters said they weren't too worried. They remembered the March primary earlier this year, when the first numbers released showed Cofer in fourth place out of four — until she quickly surged ahead to first and nearly doubled the next closest competitor, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty.
"I'm gonna tell you one more time, I know my people and we are not the early voting type," Cofer joked to the crowd. "My people wait in line at 7:55 (p.m.)"
'There would be joy'
Naomi Williams, a Midtown resident, said that she wanted to be here tonight because she knew "there would be joy."
"I knew there would be (joy) no matter what, that's why I came," Williams said, who came to the watch party with her husband, Dan Fuchs. "One of the things that totally impressed me about Flo is that besides her progressive policies and ideas — which I am fully, fully, fully behind — she has just brought so much joy to the endeavor ... and I knew no matter what happened tonight, there would be joy."
For many at the bar on Tuesday night, Cofer's progressive policies on homelessness and affordable housing, in addition to her background in public health, meant much more to them than McCarty's traditional political experience in the State Assembly, and the Sacramento City Council for a decade before that.
While it's hard to deny the appeal of McCarty's resume, it seems to me that the assemblyman was merely in the market for the next best political position to step into. Cofer distinguished herself from McCarty on homelessness by treating the problem as a public health issue, not a nuisance issue.
"She has a public health perspective," WIlliams said. "Her opponent? His only idea seems to be that 'My children have to see homeless people and that's not OK.'"
'This is just the beginning'
Friends Gia Raybon and Sandy Thurston sat toward the back of the pub, nervously watching the television screens reporting national news.
"I've been to some of her debates and what I love about Dr. Cofer is that she has a plan," Thurston said. "To me, (McCarty) is a typical politician. I don't see that he has good character."
Still, the party raged on and the mood was — if not lighthearted — then at least hopeful. At 10 p.m., the second round of numbers were released and Cofer was still behind — but only 33% of the county's votes had been counted.
"I am grateful to all of you for inspiring me to dream and for dreaming with me what that future can be," Cofer said to the crowd.
"'More is possible' is not just a slogan, it is a reminder ... Every system that isn't working properly was created by someone no more talented, no more worthy, no more capable than every single person in this room. If we don't like what we have, we can change it."
Just like the March primaries, it could take days to find out who the winner of this mayoral race truly is — just as it will likely take days to find out who won the White House.
But as much of the nation sat in nervousness Tuesday night, Cofer's supporters were surrounded by community and joy. Kids laughed and friends smiled. And that's a win all on its own.
