Winston-Salem State University student Derwin Montgomery defeated incumbent Jocelyn Johnson in yesterday’s city primary. Because no Republican filed to run for the East Ward seat, Montgomery will not opposition in the Nov. 3 general election.
Turnout was low, but still got a few more voters than expected:
Ninety people cast ballots at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Recreation Center on Pittsburg Avenue. Just after 5 p.m., Cathey Hailstock went inside the center to vote, then came out and lectured a group of men about to play basketball.
“Did you vote?” Hailstock demanded, as they shook their heads no.
“Your city government is more important than what happens in Washington. Don’t you let this opportunity pass you by. It’s too important,” said Hailstock, who then marched three of the men — 38-year-old Solomon Gore Jr., 19-year-old Ricky Gordon and 18-year-old Alijah Rolle — to her car and drove them to their polling place so they could cast their ballots.
Don’t get me wrong —- I agree with the thought that city government is important than what goes on in Washington. Hopefully this introduction to the political process will spur a life-long interest among these young men. But I can’t help but be bothered by the fact that candidates benefited from voters with no clue about who they were voting for. That’s as scary — if not more so —-than not voting at all.
