Democrats choose Julia Carson’s grandson to succeed her

Hat Tip: By Mary Beth Schneider, Indianapolis Star

Democrats have selected Andre Carson to run in a special election to fill the U.S. Congressional term of his grandmother, the late Julia Carson. Carson, a member of the City-County Council, garnered 223 of the 439 votes cast. He was among eight candidates seeking the nomination. Julia Carson, a legend in Indiana politics, died Dec. 15 after a battle with lung cancer, and her presence loomed over today’s caucus which began with a moment of silence in her memory.

Many of the precinct committee men and women leapt to their feet, cheering and clapping, when Carson’s victory was announced.

“We love you Andre!” one woman shouted out as he bounded to the stage.

“We did it!” he shouted. “Thank God, we did it!”

Now, he said, he will launch a “grass-roots effort” to win the seat his grandmother held.

“We need candidates in office who aren’t puppets for big business and corporate interests. We need to get our troops home from Iraq immediately. We need to make sure funding is available for every child to meet the requirements of ‘No Child Left Behind,’” he said to cheers.

And, he said, “we all have to come together. No matter who you were for, we come together and show Republicans that this is a Democratic seat.”

Andre Carson will face determined white opposition to retain this seat in the Democratic primary and  to be re-elected to this seat in the fall. The coalition between black and white democrats seems to be fracturing in Indianapolis and I will be keeping tabs on this seat.