Candidates Larry Holmes and Ronald O’Connor Jr. smiled and waved hello to passing voters during November’s election day, hoping to solidify votes to become the next 6th Ward Commissioner.
Up again for re-election after two consecutive terms, Democrat Larry Holmes was challenged again by Republican Ronald O’Connor Jr., whose campaign posters seemed to spring up around the sixth ward more than usual this year. Yet to no avail, since these posters seemed to only represent the minority of voters, as revealed by the results of the November 5 election.
According to the unofficial election results for Haverford Township, as well as the Haverford Township Democratic Party, Holmes won by 325 votes. He received 811 votes to O’Connor’s 486. Granted, these results only represent the opinions of the voters who exercised their civic duty and came out to the polls.
Holmes, in an interview, revealed what he thought the major issues affecting the 6th Ward community and the township were. “Right now, the most important thing we need to do in the next four years is fix our infrastructure. We need a township building, a police station, and a better library.” Holmes went on to cite numerous examples of the aging and outdated infrastructure in the township, discussing a township building that “leaks every time it rains,” a police station with dedicated officers who are “forced to work out of a glorified trailer” and a library “that needed modernization 15 years ago.”
O’Connor, when asked the same question, stated that he was frustrated with the “lack of attention given to the 6th Ward.” “We need more sunlight to this area,” he said. “We are looked upon as the ‘black sheep’ of the township, because all the other wards always get developments.” O’Connor also said that the 6th Ward is often “forgot about” because of the fact that the 6th Ward is on “the other side of the trolley tracks.”
As detailed on his self-produced website, O’Connor doesn’t want the 6th Ward to “fall victim to an urban mentality” because of our proximity to the city. On the website, O’Connor expressed his desire to see a “stronger police presence in the 6th Ward,” because it bothers him when he sees graffiti. But Holmes seemed to shrug off these desires in his interview, saying that we shouldn’t let one or two incidents develop into a paranoia concerning the state of our police or safety, since both are of good standing. O’Connor also explained that he wanted to bring more business back into the 6th Ward, with Holmes responding that “we don’t have nearly enough space” for any new shops or businesses, as neighborhoods are already concentrated and housing is tight. “Each property is not five acres here, that’s in the 5th Ward.”
Lisa Mandell, a Democratic greeter outside of Chestnutwold Elementary School, was happy to give input as to why she came out and got involved in her local political process. “I have come out for years as a poll greeter to just be a voice” she said, because “to me it’s important to be involved, especially in local politics, where things happen that really affect our daily lives.”
Mandell seems to epitomize what local politics are really all about, and how important local elections are even though they aren’t held in a presidential election year.
“Local politics affects what’s happening here, in our township, sometimes more so than national politics does, which grabs all of the attention. Being a poll greeter gives me the opportunity to give out information, if they’re interested, thank people for coming out to vote, and also, it’s an opportunity to meet my neighbors.”
