From left: (1) a puzzle with counting numbers, which was completed multiple times during the meeting by Ann Arbor city councilmember Chuck Warpehoski’s daughter; (2) the voting credential that had to be held aloft at the Dems meeting in order for a vote to be counted; and (3) Robert’s Rules of Order held aloft as the authority determining that a 2/3 majority of votes would need to be counted, in order for the endorsement of Kirk Westphal to be rescinded. (Photos by the writer.)

The party’s executive board had voted on Wednesday to endorse Westphal. But at Saturday’s meeting of the general membership, Jack Eaton – the Democratic nominee for Ward 4 Ann Arbor city council – brought forward a motion to rescind that endorsement of Westphal. His motion was defeated by a vote of the general membership.

Eaton had contested the August primary in Ward 4 with incumbent Democrat Marcia Higgins, and he won the race decisively. He is supporting incumbent independent Jane Lumm against Westphal in the Ward 2 election, as are Democratic councilmembers Mike Anglin (Ward 5) and Sumi Kailasapathy (Ward 1) and some other local Democrats. Lumm served on the council in the mid-1990s as a Republican. Except for Lumm, the entire 11-member council consists of Democrats. The Ward 2 race includes independent Conrad Brown in addition to Lumm and Westphal.

Anglin and Kailasapathy attended the Democratic Party meeting, as did several other councilmembers who have not endorsed Lumm: Sabra Briere (Ward 1), Sally Petersen (Ward 2), Christopher Taylor (Ward 3), and Chuck Warpehoski (Ward 5). Taylor and Warpehoski have endorsed Westphal.

In rising to express her support for Lumm, lifelong Democrat Jane Michener indicated that she felt Westphal was working toward making the world “safe for developers” instead of on behalf of residents, and that’s why she’s supporting Lumm. Westphal is chair of the city’s planning commission.

To vote on the question of Westphal’s endorsement, attendees held aloft squares with a Democratic logo  – a voting credential issued that morning. With 56 people voting against the motion to rescind – that is, to leave Westphal’s endorsement in place – and only 21 voting to rescind it, a simple majority was not achieved. So the required 2/3 majority was also not achieved.

The question of Westphal’s endorsement came in the context of a meeting that had been billed as “Endorsement Saturday” by the party. Representatives for 2014 campaigns at the state and national level were on hand to deliver remarks and to receive the Ann Arbor Democratic Party’s endorsement.

Not every candidate was on hand in person, but the general membership of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party gave its endorsement to the following: Mark Schauer (governor), Mark Totten (Michigan Attorney General), John Dingell (U.S. House District 12), Pam Byrnes (U.S. House District 7), Gary Peters (U.S. Senate), Gretchen Driskell (Michigan state house representative District 52), Jeff Irwin (Michigan state house representative District 53), and Adam Zemke (Michigan state house representative District 55).

Not every candidate who attended the meeting was seeking an endorsement. Ward 1 Democratic incumbent Sabra Briere addressed the meeting, but explicitly stated that she was not there for an endorsement. The fact that she was the Democratic Party nominee was a sufficient endorsement, she said. Briere faces a challenge on Nov. 5 from independent Jeff Hayner.

Briere’s statement helped break a pattern of first hearing remarks of a candidate, followed by an endorsement vote. Washtenaw County commissioner Andy LaBarre also told the group he wasn’t there for an endorsement. But the previous pattern had led some in attendance to expect the same sequence – remarks, followed by a vote – to unfold after Westphal spoke. However, his endorsement had been handled by the executive board a few days earlier.

The motion to rescind Westphal’s endorsement came after Nora Wright, who presided over the meeting, declined to entertain a different motion from Eaton while other business was being considered. Later, after Westphal had spoken, Wright declined again to entertain a motion – that the party not make an endorsement in the Ward 2 city council race – because there was no such motion on the meeting’s agenda.

But when Eaton then put forward a motion to rescind the executive board’s previous action of endorsement, Wright put that question to the membership.

Some back-and-forth between Eaton and David Cahill drew out the fact that a 2/3 majority would be required – as Cahill cited Robert’s Rules of Order on the issue. Cahill is one of the party’s two vice chairs for resolutions, bylaws, and policy. Cahill responded to a question from Eaton about the ability of the executive board to make endorsements, by citing the group’s bylaws that provide for the board to carry out the business of the party between general meetings of the membership. [By way of background, Cahill is married to Sabra Briere.]

The meeting had begun with a misunderstanding about who would be allowed to participate in the endorsement votes. Democratic Party chair Mike Henry first seemed to indicate that only those who were on the party’s list seven days earlier would be allowed to participate. Cahill rose to appeal Henry’s apparent ruling.

The potential disagreement proved to be moot. Graham Teall – who’d assisted in issuing the voting credentials earlier in the morning – pointed out that anyone who had asked to be added to the list that morning had been issued a credential. The party’s bylaws state that: “Residents of the Ann Arbor area who are in sympathy with the general aims and policies of the Party are considered members of the Party and are eligible to participate in Party activities and to vote at Party meetings.” [Teall is married to Ward 4 city councilmember Margie Teall.]

Supporters of both Lumm and Westphal had rallied people to attend the meeting to vote on the Ward 2 endorsement. It led to the observation by several speakers that it would be nice to have that kind of attendance on a regular basis. Democratic Party chair Mike Henry told attendees: “We would love to see you here all the time!” About 80 people attended the meeting.

After the meeting, Westphal responded to a question from The Chronicle – about whether he’d taken an affirmative step to request the endorsement of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party. Westphal said he wasn’t sure he’d taken such a step to request an endorsement of the group, beyond having implicit endorsement of being the Democratic Party nominee. But he allowed that he’d conveyed that he wouldn’t mind having that additional endorsement.

Westphal’s Endorsement

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Kirk Westphal, the Ward 2 Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 general election. He thanked attendees for all their support with his campaign. “It’s a big fight. It’s all about getting out the vote,” he said. “The city is at a critical point where we may be going into an era of missed opportunities and going backward instead of forward.”

Signs for both Ward 2 Ann Arbor city council candidates were placed at the entrance to the Ann Arbor Community Center on North Main Street, where the Ann Arbor Democratic Party held its Oct. 12 meeting.

From left: Ann Arbor Democratic Party chair Mike Henry and David Cahill, who’s one of the two vice chairs for resolutions, bylaws, and policy. They were discussing the issue of membership and who would be entitled to vote that morning.

Graham Teall assisted with the issuance of voting credentials.

Jane Michener described herself as a life-long Democrat, and spoke in support of Jane Lumm at the meeting.

Peter Eckstein took a photo of Jack Eaton. Eckstein and Eaton are supporting independent incumbent Jane Lumm in the Ward 2 city council race. Eaton is the Democratic candidate in Ward 4.

Nora Wright, one of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party’s three vice chairs for programs. She presided over the endorsements portion of the meeting.

David Cahill held aloft a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order.

David Cahill thumbed through a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Attendees held their credentials aloft to vote.

Graham Teall counted the votes of those who were in favor of rescinding the executive board’s endorsement of Westphal.

Other Endorsements

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Pam Byrnes is running to represent the 7th District of the U.S. House for Michigan. That’s a seat currently held by Republican Tim Walberg. “Tim Walberg is definitely beatable,” she said. “He epitomizes the gridlock that is in Washington. We are calling it the Walberg Shutdown.”

Stephanie White, political director of the Michigan Democratic Party. She spoke on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer who was campaigning in the northern part of the state. Wherever he goes across the state, she reported, good crowds are showing up to “meet the next governor of Michigan.” “He has incredibly progressive values,” she said. When asked if he supports gay rights, “he’ll say, ‘Hell, yeah, I support gay rights,’” she told the Ann Arbor Democrats.

Michigan state house representative Gretchen Driskell (D-District 52). She’s running for e-election in 2014. She called her first two years frustrating, because the Michigan legislature is controlled by Republicans.

Travis Gonyou, who’s U.S. representative John Dingell’s field representative for Washtenaw County. Dingell was “stuck in D.C.” he reported, with votes scheduled over the weekend. “Whether that yields us any progress, I’m still not sure,” he said.

Debbie Dingell, who’s married to U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-District 12) also delivered some remarks to the audience. She’d just come from a breast cancer fundraiser, she said.

Alma Wheeler Smith attended the meeting to promote the candidacy of Gary Peters for U.S. Senate. Peters is running in the 2014 election for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Carl Levin. Smith said the answer to the question of “Who’s that guy?” is someone with progressive values, who knew how to use his experience in business to work across the aisle.

Mark Totten is running for Michigan attorney general in 2014. He holds a PhD in ethics. He asked the group: “Who is the attorney general supposed to represent?” The response from the members of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party who were assembled Saturday: “The people!” Totten called the position of attorney general “the people’s lawyer.”

From left: Michigan state house representatives Jeff Irwin (D-District 53) and Adam Zemke (D-District 55). Irwin called Gov. Rick Snyder’s policy one that lowers taxes on wealthy people and raises them on low-income people, which is “wrong for the future of Michigan.”

From left: Michigan state house representatives Jeff Irwin (D-District 53) and Adam Zemke (D-District 55). Zemke called Lansing “a horribly partisan place.”

Elected Officials Not Seeking Endorsement

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Washtenaw County commissioner Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) told the members he was not there for an endorsement. He was there to encourage people to attend the next meeting of the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. to help support a resolution calling for the repeal Michigan’s Stand Your Ground law.

Incumbent Democrat Sabra Briere (Ward 1) faces a challenge in the November general election from Jeff Hayner. “I’m unopposed as a Democrat. What that means is that I have the Democratic nomination. I have your endorsement. I don’t need anything else, except for you to tell me if I step wrong. And for you to tell me when I step right. Because it’s important that I listen to you.”

Other Faces in the Crowd

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From left: Ann Arbor city councilmembers Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) and Mike Anglin (Ward 5).

From left: Ann Arbor city councilmember Sally Petersen (Ward 2) talked with Ann Arbor District Library board member Nancy Kaplan.

From left: Kirk Westphal, Ward 2 Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 general election, and Ann Arbor city councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (Ward 5).

Washtenaw County commissioner Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) talked with resident Kathy Griswold.

Linda Lombardini, who is newly wed to Sandi Smith, former Ann Arbor city councilmember.

From left on the sidelines: Ann Arbor city councilmember Sally Petersen (Ward 2), Washtenaw County commissioner Andy LaBarre (D-District 7) and Michigan state house representative Jeff Irwin (D-District 53). LaBarre is not sending Irwin in with a play called “Dems Huddle.”

Former Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board member Ted Annis.

Clockwise from left foreground: Mike Allemang, former Washtenaw County water resources commissioner Janis Bobrin (who’s married to Allemang), Ward 2 Democratic nominee Kirk Westphal, Ann Arbor Democratic Party officer David Cahill, and former state representative Alma Wheeler Smith.

From left: former Ann Arbor city councilmember Eunice Burns, current councilmember Sabra Briere (Ward 1) and a longtime Ann Arbor Democratic activist Doug Kelley.

Anne Bannister, past chair of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party.

Resident Kathy Griswold talked with Michigan state representative Adam Zemke (D-District 55).

Ann Arbor resident Peter Nagourney.

Ann Arbor city councilmember Chuck Warpehoski’s daughter Camille completed a puzzle several times during the meeting.

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Chronicle file photo of Hank Beekley with his team of draft horses – a Belgian and a Shire – as they disk the field on the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital campus. They were preparing the acreage for gardens that will supply fresh vegetables for the hospital cafeteria and for a farmers market. As non-city residents, neither the Belgian nor the Shire is contesting a city council race this election cycle.

On the upside, elections really make it clear that we live in a democracy. They elicit a spurt of energy and passion from the electorate, as voters cheer on their candidates like racing fans at Northville Downs cheer their horse-racing picks. If enthusiasm among voters for civic affairs were sustained throughout the rest of the year, that would really be something. That’s when we expect the thoroughbreds who win the horse race of the election to transform into draft horses and do the work that matters. But cheers for the draft horse are rare, and it only takes a few days post-election for most residents to lose interest until the next campaign.

Part of the election horse race is endorsements by news publications. At this point, I hasten to add – somewhat defensively – that my tenure at The News as opinion editor did not coincide with either of the Bush endorsements, nor with the now-infamous non-endorsement in the McCain/Obama race of 2008. That’s not to assign responsibility for those endorsements to the opinion editor at the time – that’s not how endorsements at newspapers are determined. They result from a decision made by an editorial board, not just one person.

I had always questioned the value of endorsements, and my work on The News’ editorial board re-enforced those doubts. There were three of us – the publisher, editor-in-chief and opinion editor – who made the decisions, sometimes after a great deal of discussion, but often not. Our decisions relied primarily on information gathered by News reporters, along with relatively brief editorial board meetings with those candidates who were gracious enough to endure our questions. Often, it was the one and only time some of us had ever met the candidates – even those who were already elected officials.

It should be obvious that I’m not proud of any of that. Nor do I imagine that journalists who participate in similar endorsement processes at other publications can take much professional pride in adding to the electoral horse race in this way. So I’m glad that as a matter of policy at The Ann Arbor Chronicle, we’ve decided not to make endorsements.

We didn’t make the decision lightly. Readers have asked about it – some even encouraging us to make endorsements – because that’s what serious publications do, right? And ironically, I’m much better informed about the incumbents than I ever was as an editor at The News. I have sat through scores of public meetings since we launched The Chronicle nearly two years ago, and edited scores more reports of meetings that someone else survived.

So why isn’t The Chronicle making endorsements? Actually, we already do. We endorse democracy, and independent thought. We make that endorsement by reporting out in detail on our local government in action. We care about why and how and when elected and appointed officials make decisions, and we convey that information to Chronicle readers. When you understand what’s happening in the government that your local tax dollars support, you’re equipped with a foundation from which to make your own decisions.

Your vote will be informed by other things as well, of course. I’d bet that most of us can point to a single main reason for why we vote for a particular candidate over another. Maybe it’s because you’re voting against a candidate, rather than really for their opponent. Maybe you know them to be a liar. Maybe you disagree with too many of their policy positions. Maybe you’ve just received way too many pieces of campaign literature from a candidate, and you can’t imagine a candidate who’s spending that kind of money to get your vote is the kind of person you want representing you. All you know is: Not that one.

Or maybe you’re actually voting for the candidate whose oval you blacken on election day. Maybe that candidate voted for an ordinance you wanted to see passed. Or maybe that candidate voted against a controversial residential development you also opposed. Or maybe that candidate knocked on your door and you liked the way she shook your hand and looked you in the eye. Maybe it’s because your guy is a glass-eating clown.

Money, in the form of campaign contributions, is one type of endorsement that’s useful for keeping track of the horse race. The basic horse race question is: Who raised more money? But it’s worth reflecting in more detail about who’s giving money to the candidates – are the contributors people or organizations that you know and respect? Are you impressed by the ability to raise sizable amounts – or do you find that distasteful? Are you more impressed by the number of people who have unrecognizable names making small donations, or by large donations from recognized opinion leaders in the community?

For candidates in city of Ann Arbor races, Chronicle intern Hayley Byrnes converted the scanned .pdf campaign finance filings on the county clerk’s website to something more tractable: [Excel workbook, one worksheet per candidate] [searchable .pdf file listing all contributions ]

The same organizations that contribute to campaigns often make explicit endorsements of their own – for candidates, it’s just another way to tell voters that they’re winning the horse race. Does it matter to you that one candidate gets more endorsements than another? Or does it just matter what kind of endorsements they’re getting – labor, business, or environmental groups? One Ann Arborite once told me that she simply votes for whatever candidates the local chapter of the Sierra Club endorsed. To which I said, “Really?? Huh.”

But, in fact, unless we know the candidates well, most of us probably do have just one equally marginal reason why we vote for them. And in the primary elections, when political ideologies of candidates generally align, there are only a few races in which there’s a clear choice. Many times, honestly, it’s a crap shoot.

So read as much as you can – you can find The Chronicle’s reports of primary election forums here. Talk to as many people as you can, watch where the money comes from, and pick your own reason to vote for a candidate. But don’t rely on just one source to tell you who to vote for, especially not a newspaper’s editorial board.

And more importantly, do all those things after the election is over, too. Paying attention when the people you elect are doing the work you’ve chosen them to do is the best way to ensure that your vote counts.

Elections are horse races, but governance is when the fields get plowed. And that’s something we all should endorse.

Mary Morgan is publisher of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.