Sign, sign, everywhere a sign…
Filed under: Articles by Ralph Carmona, Campaign Trail, Photos
A Portland Press Herald reporter was driving by and saw me posting signs. He smiled and yelled out: “Hey, I thought you left that to the volunteers!” I replied: “I am the people’s mayor!”
Which isn’t to say that we don’t have volunteers — indeed, I am very grateful to those who have helped me get the word out about this candidacy! If you’d like to help, e-mail me at ralph@carmonamayor.com. Let me know if there’s a spot in your neighborhood — or in your yard — that needs a Carmona for Mayor sign!
A young volunteer helps with sign setup -- done at night so as to avoid causing traffic trouble.
Yard signs are here!
Filed under: Articles about Ralph Carmona, Campaign Trail
Candidates got to ask each other questions at last week's League of Young Voters event. (Photo by Gordon Chibroski, Portland Press Herald)
Look for my yard signs springing up around town this week! If you’d like one, e-mail ralph@carmonamayor.com and I’ll bring it to your house myself.
One voter at a time
Filed under: Articles by Ralph Carmona, Campaign Trail, Photos, Portland Issues
Meeting voters on Munjoy Hill
Connecting with voters in neighborhoods carries an emotional and personal dynamic that is irreplaceable. I’m not not having volunteers leave impersonal cards or sheets at the door. They get ME. And I get them, and a valuable chance to learn from each encounter.
I called out to one baby-boomer gentleman, walking his dog: “Are you a Portland registered voter?”
Answer: “Yes, who are you?”
“My name is Ralph Carmona, I am running for mayor of Portland, and I need your vote!” I tell him my story and he not only supports me, but is open to doing a yard sign. As it turns out, I had skipped his home completely; it had a “no solicitors” sign on it.
Another older voter had just signed a nomination form for a previous candidate who had been in the neighborhood. We talked and he agreed to take a yard sign for me!
I then saw a young couple with shopping bags, walked over and we talked about my candidacy. The boyfriend was visiting, but gave me his address. They both were mesmerized by the notion of someone from East Los Angeles meeting a Mainer in his fifties, marrying and following her to a Portland they love to make change — a candidate with accomplishments seldom achieved by people who have been in Maine their whole lives. They seemed excited about my candidacy and were supportive.
Later, a few blocks away, a young man drove by and yelled out to me, “Are you the guy running for mayor?” When I said I am, he said he wanted to ask me something. It was whether I supported general assistance. A college graduate, he held two jobs, one at the local Goodwill and another as a cook at a prominent restaurant. He is concerned about losing food stamps to help him through.
I told him general assistance needs to be supported to give people a hand-up — not a hand-out. He agreed. We talked about the difficulties of those his age and he saw my empathy because I have five children in his age range going through the same struggles for a viable future. He then said: You’ve got that integrity that my mom talks about. I want to support and help you in your campaign! That’s a big sacrifice from someone who’s already putting in so much of his time just to get by.
In a completely different neighborhood, I saw a man who had a racing car. He and I talked and he said he really liked my message and was inclined to support me. The next day, as I walked the neighborhood, he drove by and yelled out: “Go get ‘em, Mr. Mayor!”
I had a long conversation with an older man who tried to lock me into the intricacies of Portland’s political history as a reason not to support me. I told him that I do not have all the answers, but I would love to have him as an adviser. We parted on good terms. The next day, one of his neighbors told me, “Do not let him bother you, keep doing what you are doing.”
Perhaps the most difficult conversations have been with voters very hostile about immigrants. One voter even suggested shooting immigrants. In the end, I found common ground even with that person.
I knock on the door of one of Portland’s most prominent political figures. That person talked about key Portland issues and indicated possibly supporting me. Was this because of how I felt about a particular issue? “No,” is the answer, “I know you know who is running, and I believe you will be objective and decisive.” I’ll try to live up to that!
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Carmona for Mayor
P.O. Box 15111
Portland, ME 04112-
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