1st Ward City Council race still boiling

Is the 1st Ward City Council race going negative?

Jody Washington thinks her opponent,Lynne Martinez, took it that way last week when Martinez reacted toWashington’s position on the Red Cedar Golf Course by saying tosupporters in an e-mail, “This is too rich.”

That prompted Washington to say voters are “not interested in snarky remarks.”

The mere fact Washington responded publicly to the e-mail the same day it went out suggests that the candidates are closely monitoring one another.

No one is offering numbers, but observers see the race, which will be on the Nov. 8 ballot, as tight.

Martinez, a former state representative,narrowly beat Washington, a first-time candidate, in the primary,receiving just 57 votes more than her in the Aug. 2 election. Theyemerged from a field of five as the candidates in the run-off generalelection for the seat held by Eric Hewitt, who is not seekingre-election.

The two candidates are carrying opposing endorsements fromthe labor and business communities coming into the final campaignstretch. Washington is endorsed by the Greater Lansing Labor Council,which represents many of the unions in the area. Martinez, on the otherhand, received an endorsement from the Lansing Regional Chamber ofCommerce on Tuesday.

Despite being a long supporter ofunions, Martinez failed to get the labor endorsement, which sheadmitted was part of the reason she chose to run for 1st Ward asopposed to an At-Large seat where council members and candidatesDerrick Quinney and Carol Wood draw strong labor support, City Pulsereported in April.

While labor influence could appear to bethe reason for the split opinions, Martinez is the one who seems tofollow the unions by saying she will vote for the proposal, which hasunion backing. Washington, meanwhile, hasn’t made up her mind whethershe supports the plan.

The proposal would give the citypermission to sell for development 12.68 acres of the old golf course,which the Bernero administration closed in 2007 for budgetary reasons.It will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Martinez’s campaign is supported byMayor Virg Bernero, which may have influenced the Chamber’s decision toendorse her. Washington has multiple family ties to the unions.

The union support could be one of thereasons the Red Cedar Golf Course ballot proposal has provoked someremarks that left Washington preparing to fight off a negative campaign.

In an article in last week’s City Pulse,as well as on City Pulse’s radio show, Washington explained that whileshe supported the development of theacreage, which fronts on Michigan Avenue across from Frandor, she hadconcerns that the project would not be done with the proper oversight,which was making it hard for her to vote for the proposal in November.

“One thing I respected about MayorBernero when he was in the House of Representatives, he was a strongvoice for oversight of the Engler administration, and I would hope thathe would respect those same qualities in his Council,” Washington saidon the radio show last week. “I think it’s OK to ask questions.”

Martinez, reportedly sent an e-mail toher supporters that same day including Washington’s concerns and thearticle. According to the e-mail, which Washington posted on hercampaign Facebook page, Martinez’s message read, “Jody Washington saidin today's issue of the Lansing City Pulse that she is not supportingthe sale of 12 acres of the Red Cedar Golf Course because I might getelected and be voting on whether to approve proposed developmentproject. This is too rich! "Read more.”

Washington said Martinez may be feelingdesperate and turning to negative tactics after losing endorsementsfrom Lansing police, firefighters, unions and others.

Martinez said the comments were notmeant as a personal attack. Instead, she was trying to circulate thearticle so “people know that this article is available for them toreview and make their own decisions.”

Martinez supports the Red Cedar proposaland considers it an opportunity to create an anchor development onMichigan Avenue, which she hopes would spur additional investmentsalong the corridor.

“I have to believe that since labor iscomfortable with the proposal to put this on the ballot that theyunderstand that this has the potential to create local, well-paidjobs,” Martinez said.

In an interview, Martinez denied thee-mail was a personal attack against her opponent saying, “My onlycomment was ‘this is rich.’ Is that negative?”

Washington responded that she is determined to keep her campaign positive, despite Martinez’s remarks.

“I am trying desperately to keep this about hard work and issues and to let people know we can have politics with integrity.”