With the recent change in the mayoral office—more money, more power—we will see a more vigorous opportunity for visionary leadership in this race and those of the future; and that is a very good thing.
Daniel Weintraub: Mayor’s race should be debate over city’s future
By Daniel Weintraub - dweintraub@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, April 3, 2008
The race unfolding now for mayor of Sacramento promises to be a contest between a steady but uninspiring incumbent and a young political newcomer with grand hopes and no record in public office. And while the race is nonpartisan, it might also shape up as a campaign between an old vision for the Democratic Party and a new one.
Mayor Heather Fargo is seeking a third term after eight years as mayor and 19 at City Hall, including her years on the City Council. Her strongest challenger will be Kevin Johnson, a former NBA superstar with the Phoenix Suns who returned to his hometown after his basketball career to devote himself to economic development and education in the poor neighborhood in which he grew up.
Fargo is a former state employee who governs like a bureaucrat. She is cautious. She craves consensus. She does not venture far from her prescribed duties as, essentially, chairwoman of the City Council.
Johnson could not be more different. He is impatient. He can be brash. And he is not afraid of confrontation with entrenched interests.
