Friday, December 11, 2009
Bowers, Cutler rejoin ranks of Roanoke's Democrats
The shift means Roanoke City Council is once again unanimously Democratic, but seats are up for grabs in May.
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From The Roanoke Times
Roanoke Mayor David Bowers has returned to his roots, and city Democrats once again have a unanimous grip on the city council.
Bowers and city Councilman Rupert Cutler officially became Democrats again Thursday, during the city committee's biennial reorganization.
That means that all seven members of the city council are now officially Democrats, having either been elected as a party nominee or joined during a reorganization.
"It's good to once again be a foot solider for the Democrats," said Bowers. "I'm back where I started 31 years ago."
Bowers broke with the party in 2008 to successfully run as an independent against incumbent Mayor Nelson Harris, the Democratic nominee. His participation in the meeting -- which required signing a party loyalty pledge -- opened the way to his return, which was further sealed when he was elected as an at-large member of the committee.
Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell was elected as the new committee chairman. Caldwell succeeds Tony Reed, who stepped down but was elected as an at-large committee member.
The reorganization serves as the unofficial gateway on the road to city council elections. Before each of the past two elections in 2006 and 2008, the reorganization was contentious, with party factions splintered and vying for control.
Not so this year, as the 89 people who attended as credentialed members largely followed a series of recommendations handed out at the meeting's entrance.
The only major departure from the recommendations came in the city's East district, where Mark Powell was elected as unit chairman. Powell ran the 2009 House campaign of Martin Jeffrey, who challenged incumbent Del. Onzlee Ware in the Democratic primary.
In April, Powell filed an assault charge against Reed for what he claimed was verbal and physical intimidation during a contentious meeting to examine campaign documents. The charge was dismissed in June for lack of sufficient evidence.
It's still unclear whether Thursday's absence of open conflict among committee members signals a change from the past two council elections, when disenfranchised Democrats broke with committee leadership to run as independents.
Former city councilman Bill Bestpitch -- who was elected as a unit chairman for the South district -- used the meeting as an opportunity to circulate petitions for a planned run for the council in the spring.
Three seats are up for grabs in May, and at least one will be open. Councilman Rupert Cutler has said he won't run to retain his seat. Council members Gwen Mason and David Trinkle hold the two other seats up for election.
