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There have been a number of piefights around here lately about a possible contested primary in SD-3. Let me state upfront that I am an unabashed supporter of Jimmy Dahroug. I think Jimmy will easily be one of, if not the most progressive candidate for state Senate anywhere in the state this year. I know Jimmy. I like Jimmy. He has my support. Period.
That said, I think Jimmy and many of his many supporters on this site and elsewhere are missing large parts of the big picture here as well as missing an opportunity. I'm not at all happy that Chris Bodkin, a republican recently turned Dem is seemingly being encouraged to run against Jimmy. Jimmy is the kind of bright young Dem that the party infrastructure should be nurturing and grooming for bigger and brighter things, not encouraging primary challengers for. But, primaries happen. They happen more often in our party than the other. It's just a fact. If Bodkin wants to run for the right to take on Trunzo, it's certainly his right to do so. What we need to do is deal with it. So does Jimmy.
Primaries are often healthy things and what Jimmy needs to do is see this development as an opportunity to dispel many of the misgivings that some in the party have about him and his candidacy. This is a test and one that I think Jimmy is more than equal to. This is a chance for Jimmy to build and organize a real campaign ahead of schedule.
Candidates and campaigns that win have to learn to organize. A contested primary is a chance to build an organization that can not only win that primary, but win in November. Jimmy has the support, or soon will have, of many progressive orgs across the state. This is a chance to mobilize those networks, both inside SD-3 and outside the district, to work to win this primary. It's a chance to build an actual campaign, one that can pivot after the September primary to focus on one of the most vulnerable republicans in the Senate, Caesar Trunzo (R-Florida). In fact, the campaigns might not be all that different given that Jimmy will essentially be running against a republican twice. If Jimmy can use this opportunity to build a real, significant campaign, he'll be a much better candidate and have a much more effective GE campaign at the end of it. Period.
There are those that feel that Jimmy Dahroug can not run and win against a republican in SD-3. This is a chance to prove them wrong. If Jimmy can not make a compelling case to Democratic voters in a Democratic primary against a guy who has been a Democrat for mere months, it's quite doubtful that he can beat Trunzo in November. It's really that simple.
I think it's time we stopped the piefights and the finger pointing and the whining about how it's just not fair. If Bodkin does indeed get into the race, and it appears likely that he will, Jimmy and progressives need to see this development for what it is, a gift.
On the web: Jimmy Dahroug for State Senate.
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