Waters’ supporters credit negative ads, grassroots strategy for possible upset of Kilpatrick

Candidate Mary Waters awaits results of the 13th Congressional District primary at Fuddrucker's

The race for Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick’s 13th District seat in the U.S. House is going into the morning undecided. With 71 percent of all precincts reporting, Kilpatrick has come from behind and leads Mary Waters by some 900 votes.

Even if it turns out not to be an actual political victory for Waters, the fact that her supporters will go to sleep tonight with hope, is a moral one for the underdog former state rep who was grossly outspent.

But Waters was also untarnished. Kilpatrick’s son, Kwame, has been fighting criminal charges and legal efforts to remove him from office for a long-running scandal that is as bottomless as the coffee refills at Fuddruckers; Kwame’s troubles clouded his mother’s entire campaign.

The environment at Mary Waters’ campaign victory party at the Fuddruckers on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit resembled a bunch of friends hanging out at a bar. Dining on burgers and wings, supporters and staff gathered around the two TV screens in the bar waiting anxiously for the numbers to roll in. When the TV station announced that Waters was leading by 3 percent, applause ran through the crowd.

But Waters is relaxed, like she’s been here before. She sat and spoke with Michigan Messenger with a warm, friendly approach, but she didn’t seem too excited.

“We were offered the yacht club and we turned it down. I just wanted to be in a friendly environment,” Waters told Michigan Messenger. The working families that supported her, she said, would appreciate this atmosphere better anyway. “And besides, why make your staff plan a [big] party when they could be getting out the vote?”

When asked about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Detroit to stump for Kilpatrick, Waters says she came to Detroit because “[Kilpatrick] made her do it.” And as for legislation, the former state rep said Kilpatrick was falling behind.

“Bills she produces were not any real substance,” Water said. She called Kilpatrick’s bills “congratulatory” in that they usually were publicizing the accomplishments of political leaders.

To the argument that Kilpatrick has a strong voice in Congress, Waters shook her head.

“She has no clout,” she said. “Unless you chair a committee you have no clout.”

The fact that Kilpatrick is chair of the Black Caucus, she said, “doesn’t mean anything.” One of Waters’ supporters points out that as president of the Black Caucus, Kilpatrick supported Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama.

Later, the tally is announced at 39 percent to 36 percent. Waters is still not getting excited. And luckily, Fuddruckers’ manager has agreed to keep the establishment open past its usual midnight close.

Isaac Robinson, member of the Michigan Young Democrats, thinks that the way Waters ran her campaign has had a lot to do with keeping the returns tight. He thinks that Waters may have an edge because she ran negative adds that tied Carolyn Cheeks to her son, the scandal-plagued mayor. Waters had more cash on hand than Scott, but Scott also didn’t run an attack campaign that emphasized the mayor-congresswoman connection.

“The fact that name recognition didn’t do it shows that there had to be a strong grassroots effort,” Robinson said.

Jauron Winston, the chairman of the Midtown Democrats in Detroit who is running for Detroit City Council, was in the small crowd of supporters. I asked him about Waters’ formula for keeping the race tight while spending so much less money than her opponents. “Well, she got me here. She is in touch with people. I am going to support her all the way. She has a lot of grassroots support. It’s not like she’s brand new. With the endorsement of my pastor [from the Word of Truth church], I will do whatever I can to support her.”

He continued: “She has a good outreach in Detroit. She does what she says.”

Some other comments in rapid fire: Grassroots. Churches and everbody knows her. Her name’s a good name. No one would say anything bad about her. People that get out and vote have been following her political career.

Hassan Langston, who was a leader in Waters campaign left around midnight. “I have to get up in the morning,” he said as he ducked out of the bar amid numerous cameras.

At 1:00 a.m. when Kilpatrick was making her victory speech after 70 percent of the vote showed she was ahead by 1 percent, Mary Waters was making her way to the door slowly amid a crowd of reporters.

“There’s still a 50-50 chance. I came in here saying 50-50 chance and I’m still saying it,” she told Michigan Messenger. When a reporter asked her what will happen, she shrugged. “I wish I knew,” She said. When asked where she was going now she said “to bed.”

Michigan Messenger Editor Todd Spencer contributed to this report.