Flo Cofer expanded the political arena in Sacramento. The status quo should beware | Opinion
It seems the political arena in Sacramento is only for the same few players.
Newcomer Flojaune “Flo” Cofer surprised many in that arena when she came approximately 1,940 votes away from becoming Sacramento’s next mayor.
Though longtime state lawmaker Kevin McCarty came out on top, Cofer’s performance sent a message that transactional politics isn’t the only way.
“There is this pro-forma way that people are supposed to do things that are unspoken,” said Cofer on Wednesday.
Though she ran a great campaign, Cofer lost and the work to inspire and educate people to vote is still ongoing.
Sacramentans should know their politics
Knowledge of how the government works should be widespread in the capital of California, where the government is the local business. It’s not.
As she crisscrossed Sacramento on the campaign trail, Cofer found herself playing two roles: mayoral candidate and educator. She found citizens lacking knowledge of how their city works, information that could help inform votes.
“We are not connecting with our community in the way the local government should feel close to people. If you grew up in Sacramento, you should know government. The idea that people don’t know who their elected officials are, don’t know what boundaries they live in, or don’t is an indication that A) things are overly complicated and B) we haven’t been explaining it to people and getting them involved.”
Cofer kept her race focused on the issues that she believed mattered to the people but was faced with old political tricks.
McCarty attacked Cofer’s on homelessness, which was to use unused parks as a space for the homeless to live. This was one of her first “welcome to politics” moments.
“I told him you’re gonna have some work to do in the city of Sacramento because the tactics that you and your campaign used were racist and sexist,” Cofer said. “The fact that mailers were sent to people’s homes with a dark background with my picture on it saying Flo is too extreme and too radical for Sacramento is to play on people’s natural fears of a darker-skinned Black person. As a white-passing Black person, you weaponized your assumption of whiteness against the contrast of my Blackness.”
Politics will be politics but candidates diminish the community when they choose vitriol to diminish opponents.
There are still tons of Sacramentans who ignore the political process, but with the success of Cofer’s campaign, a new political landscape is possible.
A new way for Sacramento
This election season was competitive and it showed a very ugly side of politics. Cofer sought to bring her public health background to city government. She didn’t believe in sweeping homeless people off the streets if they had nowhere else to go. She tried to communicate with voters, not scare them. She wanted to make the election about ideas, not accusations.
The reality is that we are all in this together.
“You don’t have to lose in order for me to win,” Cofer said about shifting the culture.
There is a solution to our homelessness problem that doesn’t require people to be considered less than citizens. Marginalized communities can be heard when they’re concerned about police violence and we can also improve public safety for everyone.
This movement is not just about Cofer, she would be the first one to tell you that. It’s about shifting the culture of politics in Sacramento.
“It’s a movement about inspiration, it’s a movement about connection and it’s a movement about possibility,” said Cofer.
Sacramento is a political town but has left out the working and lower middle class.
Cofer made this race close because she spoke to them directly. She was able to dominate working neighborhoods such as Meadowview, downtown and Oak Park.
This was her first time running for any office and no outsider had ever come this close to winning Sacramento’s mayor’s race in a generation. Yes, Kevin Johnson was elected mayor in 2008. But Johnson was a celebrity, a rich and famous former NBA star. Cofer was neither rich nor famous.
Her campaign was powered by connecting with people in every community. It should never be understated how powerful it can be when wide cross sections of people engage in politics, no matter race or class. A culture shift can emerge from this election, a shift that invites everyone who is inspired to serve the people and allows every voter to be included.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
