A spirited public debate will be wonderful for the city and the region.
Fierce faceoff likely as Johnson, Fargo vie for Sacramento mayor
By Terri Hardy - thardy@sacbee.com
Published 12:10 am PST Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sacramento, get ready for an epic fight.
Former NBA star Kevin Johnson announced Wednesday he'll challenge two-term incumbent Heather Fargo, setting up a campaign that political observers said will be tough, dirty and expensive.
"It will end up being a knock-down, drag-out fight that will focus on the negatives of both candidates," said local political consultant Doug Elmets, who is not representing either candidate. "Both campaigns' teams are well known for focusing on the dark side."
Robert Waste, a California State University, Sacramento, public policy professor and consultant, agreed. "We're going to need seat belts for this one," he said.
With the city in the midst of a financial crisis, problems with high-profile development projects, criticism of her frequent travels and a perceived lack of leadership, Fargo is vulnerable, observers said. Underscoring the mayor's political problems is an independent survey conducted by Sacramento State, released Wednesday.
The survey found Fargo had an approval rating of 36 percent. Of the residents who answered the poll, 28 percent said they would vote to re-elect Fargo, while 29 percent said they would choose Johnson – leaving 41 percent undecided.
"It's a wide open race," said Amy Liu, the sociology professor who oversaw the poll. "Whoever can grab the undecideds has the best shot."
The mayoral race questions were part of "The 2008 Sacramento State Annual Survey" of 380 residents called at random. Conducted between Feb. 16 and March 2 by the Institute for Social Research, it has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.
The mayoral primary is June 3.
Before a crowd of more than 200 people in Oak Park's Guild Theatre, Johnson said he decided to run after much soul searching.
"I came to the unequivocal conclusion we need change in this city and we need a change now," he said. "Right now, people see our city as nonresponsive, tired, uninspired and bureaucratic."
