Strange allegiances popping up in Roanoke City Council elections

By Jay Warren
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: March 3, 2008

This year’s Roanoke City Council elections are making for some strange allies.

For instance, Monday independent Valerie Garner announced her candidacy. In the audience was longtime Democrat Granger MacFarlane who lost a race for council two years ago.

Last week, former Mayor David Bowers, a longtime Democrat and thorn in the side of Republicans, announced his plans to make a fifth race for mayor. Bowers quit the Democratic Committee in January and will be running as an independent this time. Mixed in the large crowd at his announcement ceremony were several Republicans, including the former Roanoke City Party Chair Dr. Ed Lynch. Lynch didn’t necessarily endorse Bowers at the event, but his presence was still a shock! Also in the crowd was E. Duane Howard. Over the years, Howard has been a consistent and vocal critic of Roanoke City Hall and he ran for mayor against David Bowers in 2000. At Bowers’ announcement ceremony last week, Howard was one of two people holding up a banner reading, “Run David, Run.” How’s that for a turnaround?

The business community and Democratic leaders rallied around political newcomer Court Rosen earlier this year, even though he has only lived in the city for a couple of years and has never run for public office. Rosen went to easily win the Democratic Firehouse Primary.

What does all of this mean? I wonder if it shows a shifting political landscape in Roanoke City. New allegiances are being formed. We’ll see if it makes a difference.