Unsolicited Testimony

So far, most of what I’ve written here has been personal reflections or random thoughts that came to mind. But my life is multifaceted, and a huge part of it revolves around neighborhood advocacy and civic engagement.

Since stepping into a neighborhood and civic leadership role, I’ve worked to be the kind of president I’d want to see. It can be exhausting, but it’s rewarding to watch the community rally and get organized, many of them for the first time. During the same period, we’ve watched our elected city council member behave in ways directly counter to what constituents are asking for.

I’ve tried to keep an open mind. Maybe he was acting in ways I just didn’t like personally. Maybe I had tunnel vision. Maybe he was listening to other neighborhoods, and I wasn’t seeing the full picture.

But many people in my circles have very serious issues with him. They’ve voiced a desire for someone to run against him, and many have asked me directly. I don’t want to be on the city council. I have plenty of reasons not to and not many to do it. I’ve always declined.

Two weeks ago, the pressure intensified.

There are four civic clubs in my super neighborhood, and I try to attend their meetings to understand resident concerns and figure out how to help escalate them. That’s where I learned that every single civic club in my super neighborhood has raised serious concerns: the council member isn’t listening, the district office isn’t responding, and he isn’t representing their concerns.

I also attended two super neighborhood meetings to help build friendships across the district. Both echoed the same sentiment: he’s not representing them, not listening, and not responding.

The pressure to run against him hit hard that week. My hesitation isn’t really about running. It’s that, based on who’s encouraging me, I would actually win. And that’s the problem.

I like my job. I like the people I work with and everything that comes with it. I don’t mind doing civic work, but I don’t want to jeopardize my career. I don’t want a life in politics, and a run — win or lose — would stunt my own professional growth.

The pressure is still there, but it’s eased a little now that I’ve said something. I know declining might disappoint people who were counting on me, and I’ve sat with that. But I’d rather be honest about what I can sustain than run a race I’d resent winning. The community deserves someone who actually wants the seat, and I’m going to keep doing the work to help find them.