i would just like to say congratulations to Sherry Altman. While she did not win the race, getting 35% of the votes for a first time runner doing a grass roots campaign is pretty remarkable. No matter what your politics you have to admire that. So congrats Ms. Altman and good luck in the future.
Not So Fast, My Friend With all due respect to Ms. Altman I wonder how may votes were cast to show displeasure with Fred Smith. One person I know indicated he would vote for Ms. Altman because of Fred Smith's real estate dealings. One other person I know voted for Ms. Altman because they wanted to send a message to Republicans to not run Fred Smith for Governor on 2006 as long rumored.
I agree, Kaci, Congrats to Sherry. It takes guts to put your money where your mouth is and run against the system. I also like that she answered posts here on 40-42. That shows she's one of us real people.
I also was impressed with the percentage of votes Sherry Altman earned. I believe her heart was definitely in the right place. She may not have earned my vote this time around - but she did earn my respect. I hope Ms. Altman will stay involved with her political interests and maybe we will hear more from her in the future.
If I'm not mistaken also, yesterday I saw someone out already picking up her campaign signs! I know there are some that will rot before they ever get picked up, so I was happy to see that.
My thanks go out to each and every person who voted! Whether they voted for my opponent or me the most important thing is to vote. I want to say a special thanks to everyone who supported our campaign. Yes, I have been picking up our signs and have asked others to help with this. As tired as I was seeing them I want to make sure they get put up fast. I believe we did real well. Fred called today and we talked about our campaigns and some of the issues. He thanked me for calling him when I knew I was not winning and he stated that he was impressed with our numbers. I think that was very nice. We also spoke about how our campaigns did not get personal and he stated that if I ever need anything to let him know. We agreed to disagree on the issues! Congressman Etheridge called today, also, and I was able to say congratulations to him and he said the same to me. He, like Fred was impressed that with the money we raised as opposed to Fred, the kind of person it takes to do this and the percentage of votes we received our campaign was a winner. Some may have voted for us because they did not like Fred but on the other hand he may have received some who did not like me. It was a good race and very educational for our family. Once again, thank you so much! Have not decided about the future but with the calls we are getting to think about it I might decide after the first of the year. Sherry
I base who I vote for on several different factors, however.... As I was sifting through candiate profiles on Monday night and I came to this particular race, I was really on the fence. Then I remembered how Mrs. Altman took the time to answer questions here and take the backlash associated with doing so. Knowing how difficult it can be to be in the public eye, even on my small scale, I respect what she did 110%. That was the deciding factor in my vote, and why she received mine. Better luck next time
