Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Re-running the Greensboro Election

I also decided to analyze what would have happened in the general election had the 2015 maps for the Greensboro City Council been reinstated.

Criteria:
The nullified map vs the current setup
The candidates’ raw numbers per precinct are displayed except where indicated
Curbside, mail, and provisional votes are excluded
Two precincts--JAM3 (Districts 5 & 6) and JEF (Districts 1 & 2)--that would have contained two districts are included in a candidate’s count 
For FR5B (Districts 5 & 7), I have assigned all of the numbers to either Wilkins or Thurm
The setup is based on voters only selecting councilmembers in their own districts as opposed to voting on all eight councilmembers citywide
The October primary-November general setup is preserved
* denotes incumbent

District 1
Hightower* 1,587
Hayes 261

Hayes absorbs Ritter-Lipscomb’s votes.

BALANCE OF POWER: ESTABLISHMENT HOLD

District 2
Johnson* 1,958
Kee 809

Due to Fox’s resignation, his seat is actually unfilled since he would have been double-bunked with Johnson. The scenario in JEF1 has been changed: Allen only absorbs seven of Brinson’s 12 votes, meaning that Kee advances to the general election by two votes.

BOP: ESTABLISHMENT HOLD

District 3
Barber* 2,448
Hoffmann* 918

BOP: ESTABLISHMENT HOLD

District 4
Brinson 1,464
Wils 444

Brinson absorbs Bellamy-Small’s votes.

BOP: DEMOCRACY GREENSBORO GAIN

District 5
Nelson 1,566
Wilkins* 1,215

The only way that the centrist leaning Nelson would win this seat is if the backlash to Wilkins were really strong, and I just don’t see it in this scenario. 

Revised District 5
Wilkins* 1,215
Nelson 764

BOP: ESTABLISHMENT HOLD. Factoring in the shift of all FR5B votes to the incumbent, Nelson’s vote total would then be cut in half, turning an upset victory into an anticlimactic contest.

District 6
Kennedy 662
Bellamy-Small 631

This contest would be much closer than I anticipated but if Kennedy were to win in this scenario, then it would be a blown opportunity as a white woman would be representing a majority black district.

BOP: DEMOCRACY GREENSBORO GAIN

District 7
Leone 572
Thurm 549

Leone would have to run a very intense campaign for that result to even be accurate.

Revised District 7
Thurm 549
Leone 262

BOP: DEMOCRACY GREENSBORO GAIN. Factoring in the shift of all FR5B votes to Thurm, Leone’s vote total would then be cut in half, meaning that the well-funded newcomer would cruise to an easy victory. 

District 8
Abuzuaiter* 2,672
Kenton 602

BOP: ESTABLISHMENT HOLD

THE ULTIMATE BOP:  6 ESTABLISHMENT SEATS, 3 DEMOCRACY GREENSBORO SEATS. The political clans would still hold influence the city council but their supermajority would disappear.

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