This broke online yesterday, and today it was splashed across the PD front page above the fold. My first thought was that Jim Rokakis is preparing to run for county executive. Jim knew how big the PD would play this – at the City Club, on a Friday, before a slow news Saturday….Rokakis is no fool. There he is on the PD’s front page today, looking very, shall we say, confident.
Full disclosure time – I have spoken to Jim Rokakis repeatedly about my run for council, and about his potential run for county executive. We’ve had big picture conversations about issues, ideas, and how to fix this county’s grinding problems. But we’ve also had hard knuckle conversations about politics – I’ve asked Jim to support my race, and I’ve told him I’d support his run for county executive if he ran.
I’m not going to discuss the details of those private conversations, but I will say this – I have urged Jim to run. We’ve both been in politics in this county for a long time, and Jim Rokakis is the only elected Democrat in this county government with universal respect across the spectrum. He’s got clean hands, his heart is in the right place, and he is the one guy who could both (a) win this executive seat without any trouble, and more importantly (b) restore a little confidence in our county’s governing by doing so.
So I’m now publicly urging Jim to run for county executive. Someone wiser than me once said that if you want change, in this country, well, you are the change that you seek. I’ve taken that to heart myself – if I can do it, Jim, so should you.
Tags: frank russo, jim rokakis, jimmy dimora
