Mount Vernon Insider: For us to self-govern, we must first embrace our basic principles of democracy by Derickson Lawrence.

Dear Neighbors:

For us to self-govern, as a country and as a municipality, we must first embrace our basic principles of democracy.

This local race felt different. There was energy, excitement, and a sense of potential reform. But the question was, can we pull it off? With this morning’s numbers we know that you cannot win without a coordinated GOTV and “doing a mailer, or two.” And quite frankly, the other side was much better at cranking out the votes.

Nonetheless, I am proud of our team (supporters) and the issues that we raised. Those issues will remain central to Mount Vernon’s future.

I congratulate: The Mount Vernon Forward team for their “well-marketed-earned” campaign; Darren Morton and Tyrae Woodson-Samuel for their grounded victories; and the other candidates’ significant campaign efforts. That was democracy at work.

As we all know, Mount Vernon stands on the edge of the proverbial abyss, and there is significant work ahead. With this new team, I pray that our leaders can work together to make the right choices, that avert the pitfalls ahead.

The next year will tell that story. Because for this round, the people have spoken.

Derickson