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Yancey wins convincingly
BY DAVID S. BERNSTEIN
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The fighting and accusations between the two campaigns show no signs of abating, but in the end, Charles Yancey posted a convincing, if symbolic, victory over Ego Ezedi in the District Four preliminary election on Tuesday. In a light turnout of just under 3500 voters, Yancey took 54 percent of the vote to Ezedi’s 44 percent. Both move on to the general election on November 4, while Arthur Sutton Jr. was eliminated with just 52 votes. But the momentum-shifting margin of victory could make it difficult for Ezedi to gain the additional money and support he needs to win in six weeks. Yancey surrounded himself with the city’s African-American political leaders to mark the victory in his Blue Hill Avenue campaign office. State Representative Gloria Fox, State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, and City Councilor Chuck Turner all spoke at the celebration. Speaking to a crowd of about 50 supporters, barely an hour after polls closed, Yancey continued to paint the race as a fight between the minority Dorchester-Mattapan community and outside influences. "We are so close to changing the politics of the city of Boston, the resistance is going to come even harder," he said. "The people outside our district know that this is where the future of Boston happens to be." He also took direct aim at council president Michael Flaherty. "We’re not going to allow the president of the city council to call your city councilor a fraud, and then come down here looking for votes, especially after he and a couple of my colleagues have the audacity to split Mattapan in half," Yancey said, referring to city redistricting. "In November, nobody who disrespects this community deserves even one vote." Others were also blunt. "There’s a lot of support from outside the community for our opponent," Wilkerson said. "Under an enormous amount of pressure, and the kind of money that I have ever seen flying into this community, our candidate won." The contentious campaign culminated with an ugly episode the day before the election. A group of Yancey supporters gathered with campaign signs at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Morton, right in front of Ezedi’s campaign headquarters. Ezedi supporters emerged and, according to Yancey campaign staff, tried to surround them to block their signs from view. Ezedi says that his campaign had already planned a visibility event for the intersection, and accused Yancey’s staff of deliberately gathering in front of his headquarters to provoke him. "Never have I seen more undignified and arrogant people," said Clarence Cooper, chairman of Yancey’s political committee, speaking of Ezedi’s campaign staff. When the two candidates ran into each other in front of the Codman Square Library on Washington Street a mere half-hour before the polls closed, however, they were civil and shook hands. Minutes earlier, Ezedi said that he had to come "within 10 percentage points, definitely" in the preliminary to have a serious chance in the general election. He also said that a number of influential people were ready to come forward with endorsements and funding for him, if the preliminary vote gave them hope that he could win in November. "Everybody’s waiting to see what happens to me tonight," he added. By 9:30 p.m., two hours later, Ezedi’s campaign headquarters were already quiet while Yancey, still in full suit and tie, continued to shake supporters’ hands. "I’m very, very happy with the results," he said. He was also already looking to the next stage of the campaign, as his nephew unveiled a new campaign ad on his laptop. This was Yancey’s first preliminary-election challenge since 1997, when he won 52 percent of the vote in a five-candidate race. He went on to win the general election against Roy Owens that year, 65 to 35 percent. Ezedi will have to do better between now and November 4 to avoid becoming just another footnote in Yancey’s long string of District Four victories.
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