Dareen Glaude, SCW columnist

The changing dynamics of Sanford's makeup can easily be seen in the results of the March 8 city elections.  The results of the March 29 runoff will give further definition to how that makeup evolves.

As noted in a previous story posted in the SCW archives, Sanford is becoming a mix of new and old in many ways, including its residents and voters.

When single-member districts were created in 1984, District 2 was the only one with a majority black population, and has been seen as the source of minority representation on the commission.

This past Tuesday's election reflects a possible change in that regard.  Incumbent commissioner Art Woodruff, who is white, garnered 40 percent of the vote and now faces a runoff versus Bernard Mitchell, who is black.

Most interesting about Mitchell's candidacy is what it represents, not in terms of the candidate's actual limited platform, but the voters who are the source of his support.

Mitchell made it to the runoff by edging out Lindsay Oyewale by 37 votes in the original five-candidate field. 

Mitchell is a 54-year old longtime resident of Sanford, married with six children and runs a well-established funeral home.  He has a history of civic involvement.

Oyewale is a 31-year old newcomer to the city who is an attorney, married with two children, and, in her few years of residence has established an active record of community involvement.

Both Mitchell and Oyewale are black, running in a district that is 34 percent black while becoming increasingly more diverse in terms of its overall population.  There are more young professionals moving into the area, as well as more of the avant-garde.

The dichotomy of the district's personality is reflected in the almost near-even split of the votes garnered by Mitchell and Oyewale.

Mitchell's base of support comes from the traditional ethnic and older voters who are more apt to identify with his personality and values.

Oyewale campaigned vigourously and spent lavishly, making her appeal to the young progressives in the district who responded to her energetic youth and activism.

That Mitchell and Oyewale basically garnered the same amount of support indicates the state of flux the district is now, and the delicate balance between young and old that now exists.

Most signicantly, the vote also indicates the power of personality in local races.  Now that Mitchell has made it to the runoff against incumbent Art Woodruff, the question becomes whether he can appeal to the same voters who were attracted to Oyewale.

The mayoral runoff between Whitey Eckstein and Linda Kuhn reflects a similar question.  Rather than being restricted to a single district, as was the race in which Mitchell and Oywale were involved, the mayoral vote was obviously broader, spreading across the entire city.

It also reflects a broader question as to what will happen in the runoff.  Rather than simply young and old, the mayoral race also reflects the difference between the traditional and the new.

Eckstein's base is those who are seen as traditional Sanford.  He has been a longtime commissioner and draws support from those who have been around for a number of years, like himself.

Kuhn represents the "new" Sanford, despite also having been a longtime resident.  A retired attorney, she is a break from the "good ole boy" type of local government, not only in obvious terms of gender, but also in advocating a professional approach to designing a cohesive plan for the city's future.

Kuhn edged Eckstein by 103 votes in this week's election, and it remains to be seen how the runoff vote will break, including the 302 voters who supported two other marginal candidates the first time around.

The results of the March 29 runoff will go far in determining the course Sanford takes in the future, and whether it will continue to be run by the senior or younger members of the community, the oldtimers or the newcomers.

The balance of all those groups is evenly mixed going into the runoff.  The turnout and influence of each will determine whose ideas and views shall prevail subsequent to the election.

Beyond all that, a larger truth will be seen.  In local elections like these, it is personality that always prevails over issues or principles. 

Whichever candidates' personaities most influence the voters on March 29 will largely influence the future personality of their city.  The mixture of young and old, new and traditional, as determined by the vote, will determine whether a different view of Sanford's future will emerge.

Email Darren at darrenglaude@seminolecountywatch.com