How I won my City Council Race in the Redneck Riviera

On April 21, 2020, history was made in Panama City Beach, Florida. The election had the largest vote by mail in history at 63% of all votes cast as well as the voter turnout was the highest ever with a 15% increase from the last mayor race. I, Cherie Crim, ran for City Council Ward 4. My opponent Michael Jarman a lifelong good ol boy won the Ward 4 seat by just 333 votes. Now I have you wondering why I said that I won my race. Unapologetically, I ran my campaign as a progressive liberal democrat. I never hid who I was.  He had lived here his whole life and only got 333 more votes than I did. 55%/45% margin. This is the biggest win we have had in my area in decades. Now it’s time we learn from this victory.

I had 1446 people - 66% Republican, 20% Democrat, and 14% other parties who voted for me. Panama City Beach had record voter turnout during COVID-19 at 3384 (some people only voted on the mayor race) Just like with the 2018 election after Hurricane Michael, people here in the panhandle want to be heard. They want someone who will listen and not judge them. Even with the stay at home orders and not being able to knock on doors. I was preparing every day for my city council race. I never stopped working toward the goal of making a difference in my town. I never stopped once to think, I can run but I will not win. I did not let the negative in. I ran a clean campaign without any lies and without apologizing for who I am and what I stand for.

You will never please every voter, so why not always be genuinely yourself. I only had around 10 people who asked me what party I was with. Yes, some refused to ever vote for a Dem, but most would talk to you. I listened to their issues and concerns. I told them mine. We had great conversations and I was told that I wasn’t like most Democrats. I was actually told that many times by random people which I found interesting.  The issue is not that I am not like most Dems, the issue is that we do not speak to people who are not like us. We like to stay in our bubbles and believe because they are Republican, they are bad, just like they have been taught the same thing about Democrats. We have stopped trying to find the middle ground. This is the media’s effect on all of us. We live in vacuums where we only hear opinions that coincide with ours. Our cognitive dissonance works hard to keep us here.

I have spent the past 4 years learning, growing and documenting to help the state of Florida. I am here to help all of us. I ran for city council in Trump country and I won. In the infamous words from Pat Benatar’s Invincible: “This bloody road remains a mystery. This sudden darkness fills the air. What are we waiting for? Won't anybody help us? What are we waiting for? We can't afford to be innocent. Stand up and face the enemy. It's a do-or-die situation—we will be invincible.”   There is no time for doubt, indecision, negative thinking or bias. We must work together to help our communities, counties and state. We must show our communities what it is like to work with everyone and that partisan politics is only there to divide us.

I have set up 2 meetings to discuss my campaign run and what was learned. Please forward to everyone.

Thursday May 14th, 2020 at 2pm CST (3pm EST)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89855519924?pwd=RjY0UXoxcDg1eFFOYVorT2Q1MkpMdz09

Password: 982944

Or Telephone:

   Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

       US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782

   Webinar ID: 898 5551 9924

   Password: 982944

Friday May 15th, 2020 at 11am CST (12pm EST)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81875984827?pwd=WmZTUDBmekxaS09VKzZhWE5wRGlzdz09

Password: 656101

Or Telephone:

   Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

       US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799

   Webinar ID: 818 7598 4827

   Password: 656101

Now is the only time and Invincible is the only game. Let’s go do the kind thing. 

Be Kind to All,

Cherie Crim

[email protected]

850-890-9855

www.bekindtoall.com

www.cherie4pcb.com