Detrick-Leary post-mortem

A few final thoughts on Elk Grove's most interesting political race this year

Detrick

- Steve Detrick's victory over incumbent Mike Leary for Elk Grove's district three city council seat was not surprising. What was surprising was the the margin of victory.

- Detrick ran a comprehensive, well organized campaign. Detrick wisely started early and build a strong team of volunteers.

- Money - on a certain level it mattered for Detrick. By self financing, Detrick was able to run a strong campaign and not be held captive by real estate interests. If Detrick did not have the cash, it would have been hard to get the word out and build the professional organization. Leary may have retained office just by the shear amount of money he raised.

- Detick's mailer were the right combination of building his own brand and reminding voters of who exactly Leary was. The 'Leary v. Leary' we felt was particularly effective.

Leary

Where to start? We will look at Leary's campaign as we all are well versed on his past. If the voters weren't, Leary might have won reelection.

- The 10,000 job claim hurt Leary is so many ways. First of all, it was a lie. When called on it, he could have said he was honestly mistaken and perhaps be given a pass. But he stood by his claim even in the face of evidence to the contrary. It was not unlike Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens recent claim that he wasn't convicted of a felony when in fact he had been convicted days earlier. Talk about denial.

The 10,000 job claim also looked ridiculous on his mailer that had featured the recently closed Elk Grove Brewery.

And finally the 10,000 job claim really highlighted Leary's hubris. He probably thought that no one would dare question the claim. This is how a schoolyard bully behaves and that was by all accounts what Leary was.

- Bullying people around. Read the following excerpt from a story in the current Elk Grove Citizen:

Monday, the day before the election, Leary called the Citizen and complained of unfair coverage, claiming more media attention was placed on Detrick than him.

Talk about a sore loser.
- Money, or actually the source of Leary's money ultimately did him in. Beholden to real estate interest, Leary could never waver from a fast-growth agenda even if he wanted to lest his supply of money be cut off. Voters in Elk Grove were tired of this growth-at-all-cost approach to governing. Let this be a lesson to all the city council members.

- Leary's late campaign start is a source of curiosity. Did Leary start late because he thought he was invulnerable, hubris again, or was he just lazy? Clearly money was not an issue.

- Leary should send a thank you note to Greg Higley. Had Higley not joined the race, Leary's margin of loss would have been even larger.

Karma finally caught up with Leary.