Analysts Review Tightly Contested Mayor’s Race

 — from Children’s House —

Mayoral candidate Oliver plans to ride the wave of Granny’s recent success — then do a last-minute fly-by before the event wraps up July 4th at 2 PM.

The race for Honorary Mayor of Eastsound wraps ups July 4^th when the winner is awarded the key to the Village by current Mayor Jack in a ceremony at 2:30 P.M. in the Farmer’s Market. Meanwhile, voting continues across the island and online at oich.org. Political analysts Layna Mosley and Andrew Reynolds offer these thoughts on the race.

Layna: This year’s race is one of the most exciting in recent memory. We saw only cats and dogs in the 2014 contest. This year, we have a marine mammal and a bird, as well as a near-perfect gender balance (more on that below). Who do you like?

Andy: Clearly, Granny is the big fish. She’s on track to succeed Jack, the “blind visionary” elected last year. Granny has heavyweight backers all around the San Juans’, and she’s likely to leave a trail of also-rans in her wake. Naming herself after the island was a clever populist move.

Layna: Indeed. As the oldest living orca, Granny can claim that she’s seen it all. Is there any chance she’ll snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

Andy: Well, lingering questions dog her candidacy. For starters, how well can someone who was born when William Taft was president of the United States cope with the rigors of modern mayorhood? And while Granny’s campaign slogan – “An Orca for Orcas Island” – has a nationalist feel, is she really a resident? Internet chat rooms abound with rumors that she was actually born off the shore of Tofino. Can the denizens of Eastsound really trust a (suspected) Canadian to look out for their interests?

Layna: All food for thought. Speaking of which, if I were a salmon anywhere in the region, I’d be nervous about Granny’s hunger for power. And, yet, Granny seems to be the Hilary of this year’s campaign – a behemoth that will be tough to slow down. What about the remainder of the pack?

Andy: I wouldn’t count any of these other four out just yet. Look for each of them to pull out all of the stops in the next ten days. We’ll likely see a major media buy from at least one candidate, as well as some intense on the ground, get out the vote efforts.

Layna: Agreed. These candidates have learned a thing or two from recent presidential campaigns, so don’t be surprised if you see aggressive spending by so-called non-profits, as well as campaign trail appearances by former mayoral luminaries. I wouldn’t be surprised if these candidates go so far as to use the Eastsound July 4^th Parade – an event that’s all about bringing folks together – as a final staging ground for their political battle.

Andy: Oliver is a colorful candidate whose success would indicate that politics on the island has reached a post-gendered state. While Oliver was assigned a male name at birth, reports that (s)he laid an egg suggest some gender non-conformity. On Orcas, though, Oliver’s difference will be an asset. My sources indicate that, in addition to promoting environmental causes and eco-tourism, Olive(r) plans to court the votes (and tourist dollars) of foreign transgendered avians.

Layna: This all sounds great, and it really fits with the ethos of Orcas. But, at over twenty years old, Oliver is no spring chicken. He’s also a man of few words, preferring non-verbal communication with his canine friends to verbalizing his hopes and dreams for the island. But perhaps this caique parrot is a bird of a different feather.

Andy: The canines are interesting pack. Bentley is a friendly, active dog with an upperclass bearing. Look for him to appeal to the Downtown Abbey-watching, deep-sea fishing slice of the electorate. But Bentley’s demand for increasing restaurant space for dogs is a tough one: when push comes to shove during the tourist season, do voters really want to give up their table for a cocker spaniel and his friends?

Layna: Meanwhile, my money is on Lewis. He could be the shaggy dog – I mean, the dark horse – in this year’s race. He’s got a great backstory, hailing from Andorra with English, French and Spanish ancestry, and making his way to Orcas after a bout of homelessness. Expect him to appeal to the island’s wanderers, as well as to those who worry about the serious issues of affordable housing and transportation.

Andy: Finally, don’t count Sullie out. She’s got a grass-roots campaign effort underway (People about Campaigning for Sullie, or PACS), and she’s also likely to win the support of the Lower Tavern’s World Cup watchers. And who wouldn’t support Sullie’s plea for “Quality Education for EVERY Student?”

About our analysts:

Layna Mosley and Andrew Reynolds are political science professors at the University of North Carolina. Their children have attended Orcas Island Children’s House, which sponsors the race, while the professors observed the last four Mayoral election campaigns.