As the saying goes, I have some good news and some bad news.
First, the bad. I unfortunately did not get in to the City Council. Our party needed 3 seats for me to get on the Council, and we only got 2.
But there is also good news. First, while the overall non-Haredi voter turnout was significantly down, Anglos made their presence felt, and as a result, our party is no less interested than before in representing our interests and values. For example, I was just asked to play an integral part in our party's coalition negotiations with Mayor Leon, and will be certain to raise the concerns you shared with me. My presence in such negotiations - and in policy formulation and implementation over the next five years in general - is purely thanks to your support and the influence it merits. So thank you!
Second, while we as a party obviously would have liked to get 3 or even 4 seats, it should be noted that non-Haredi turnout was very low, and as a result, the number of non-Haredi mandates on the City Council dropped by 2. Maintaining the 2 seats we had from last election, therefore, is in many ways a success, especially given that other similar parties lost seats. Hopefully, this will be enough to keep Deputy Mayor Hagit Moshe in her current position, from which she is able to - and strongly desires to - be an advocate on our behalf.
Finally, on a personal note, I would like to say that while I would have preferred to get on the Council, I don't regret my decision to run for a second. Our campaign was both positive and inclusive, and highlighted the importance of a number of issues -- aliya, sensible building in Jerusalem, economic growth, civil discourse, creative solutions to endemic problems -- all of which will remain a focus of our party as the Council begins to deliberate the most pressing issues of the City. Moreover, I have met a number of wonderful people -- both citizens on the campaign 'trail' as well as government officials -- and I hope to deepen these relationships as we partner together in the future to improve the city.
I recently heard a quote that I think sums up my feelings well. It appeared on a basketball given as a gift by a father to his son. It read: "You will never lose. Either you win ... or you learn something." I definitely learned a lot and am the better for it. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity.
Comments