This post is part of a series:
- Chris Hardie Announces Council Candidacy
- The dance of newcomer and incumbent
- Demystifying running for office
- Put another white man in office?
- Going door to door
- Scenes from Primary Season
- Scenes from election day
- Chris wins in the primary!
- Post-primary analysis
- Why THIS city election matters
- On the 2012 City Budget Process
- Chris supports local challenge to ballot law
- Chris responds to public access questions for candidates
- Political parties and the "So What?" test
- Our 'insufficient' answers about hope
- A Plan for Richmond
- The balancing act in political candidate debates
- A Pledge to Voters
- Violent crime in Richmond
- Chris's campaign concludes, work continues
Scraps of paper floating around my car with addresses scrawled on them for delivering yard signs and brochures.
Notes and programs from "must attend" (for a candidate, anyway) governmental and organizational meetings that seem to happen daily now, scattered across my desk.
People giving me warm "congratulations!" and me still not being sure if it's because I'm running for office or getting married or hired a new staff member at work or because I just did a nice parking job. "Thank you, I'm very excited!" is a genuine initial response for all four cases, and context clues help from there.
Surreal experiences of driving down random streets and seeing my name on a sign up ahead, still a bit jolting each time, I hope it always will be.
Conversations in coffee-shops and restaurants and on the phone about political strategy and commentary on the horse race, grateful for the advice and wisdom of those who support me or just those who have gone before, always mindful of not taking their time for granted.
More Facebook friend requests than I've ever received at any one time before.
Super long days, mostly sleeping well, but once in a while fidgeting nervously awake in the night, "I hope I don't let them down."
More hand-written thank you notes than I've written at any one time before.
As we go door to door, blushing at overhearing one of my awesome volunteers describing to a neighbor why they should vote for me.
Knowing smiles from those who have already held office, partly as if to say "welcome to the club," and partly to say "what the heck are you thinking, get out while you can, it's not too late!"
Gratefulness that local politics are simpler than state or federal politics, and then wondering if that's actually true.
Wandering the neighborhoods and sidewalks of the city, thankful for what it is, excited about what it could be.
Ready.
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I'm very happy that you parked your car so well today, Chris. Evenly between the lines, almost touching the concrete bumper, but not quite. Superb! 😉