The following is part of continuing coverage on the upcoming Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections in the City of Henderson:
The Henderson-Vance Black Leadership Caucus held a candidate forum recently and has announced their endorsements for the upcoming municipal elections, now just a couple of weeks away.
Terry Garrison is president of the caucus and he spoke with WIZS News about the Sept. 7 candidates’ forum; his interview was aired on Thursday’s Towntalk.
The caucus voted to endorse the following candidates:
- Mayor: Melissa Elliott
- Ward 1: Geraldine Champion
- Ward 2: Janice Ward
- Ward 3 at-large: Michael Venable
- Ward 4 at-large Tami Walker
“We certainly are appreciative to each one of the candidates,” Garrison said, “and their willingness to serve.”
The endorsement process was not easy, he said. “The forum, without a doubt, was a big part of that process, but also the members’ familiarity with candidates was also a factor.”
Ultimately, Garrison said it came down to which candidate the caucus members felt best represented their interests and the interests of the city of Henderson.
“Race…was not a driving force with endorsements made by the caucus,” he said; rather, “the way the candidates responded…they were the kind of responses they wanted to hear,” Garrison noted.
“All of the candidates gave a good response, and it was not an easy decision (or) an easy choice,” he said.
According to Garrison, more than 90 percent of the candidates that the caucus has endorsed in past elections have won their contests – at least in Vance County. They may not have won the overall state or national election, but they’ve carried Vance County.
“But we have also endorsed candidates who have lost – it’s not a slam dunk,” he said.
He encouraged all the candidate to continue to “campaign hard and the best candidate will win.”
He also encouraged everyone to come to the polls and cast their ballots.
“If people don’t vote, they don’t have a voice,” he said, “because they didn’t participate in the process.”
Garrison said he is optimistic that whoever gets elected will have the best interests of the community at heart. “I have hope for America and this state,” he said. “Despite our differences, we share one thing in common – we are all human beings. Underneath the skin, the blood is the same.”
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