Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
One year ago today a small team of passionate people and myself had an incredible showing against the huge and well funded political machinery in Newport Beach. As they spent approximately $500,000 in total, we spent just a fraction of that– about $30,000– and came within a margin of error of victory.
Not bad for a first try with nothing but grassroots support and all of the biggest players and all of the big money supporting my opposition.
Such slim margins between candidates is something pretty darn rare, and shows the strength of our first-time movement.
But I learned a lot, and if there is a next time, it will be a lot more fun. Until then, I’ll keep growing my “Al Gore Loser Beard” (haha) and holding everyone on council responsible for their actions.
Thank you– sincerely– to everyone who lent a hand. To everyone who was able to donate time, money, or a simple phone call to a friend to remind them to vote. It meant a lot to me and others, but more importantly: it proved itself in the numbers. As everyone dismissed the campaign as “maybe being able to get 3% of the vote”, coming out with such strong and competitive numbers as a first-time candidate really put everyone else on notice. The people are not happy with current leadership. They’ve failed on every single promise they have made to us so far, and people will remember that in 2018.
And 2018 is getting closer.
