Curmudgeon election forecast

TGIF, dear readers! Here’s the Copperas Cove election candidate lineup so far:

Place 1

Cheryl Meredith

Joann Courtland

Place 2

James Pierce Jr. (incumbent)

Fred Chavez

Mayor

Frank Seffrood (incumbent)

Joey Acfalle

Azeita Taylor

For now, Curmudgeon will look back on predictions made in this June post:

http://copperascovecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2018/06/its-almost-showtime-yall-or-here-come.html

Curmudgeon’s previous predictions for election 2018:

Curmudgeon does predict we will see some faces which have been absent from Copperas Cove politics for a few years. It would not be surprising in the least if we see Bradi “I’ve lived here longer than you, buddy” Dewald Diaz run again, and possibly some other former council members to include Mark Peterson and Cheryl Meredith.

Ding, ding! Ms. Meredith is running again for her “old” seat, place 1. She has worked as an escrow officer for escrow officer for Land Exchange Abstract and Title and served on the city council from 2009-2015.

Fred Chavez is not a new face to the CC, but is reentering the arena after a few years’ of absence. He was on the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation board of directors and also on the Coryell County Economic Development Board. (Say – what’s with all these EDC board members, current and present running for office?) 

Curmudgeon predicts there will be at least one three-candidate election for council and a run-off that will occur in December. 

Ding, ding! The race for mayor is a three-way race. Curmudgeon is mulling predictions for who might be in that run-off. If, there is a runoff. Mayor Seffrood has been a fixture in Copperas Cove government for quite a few years now, first on council and then making his successful bid for mayor in 2015. Joey Acfalle hit the ground running last summer when he announced his candidacy for Coryell County District Clerk. It was an uphill battle for Mr. Acfalle in a field of five candidates for that position and he did not make it to that run-off after this past March’s primary. However, Acfalle is presently serving on the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation board of directors and has a large following in the Pacific Islander community. He is a military veteran who knows how things operate and is familiar with the presence required locally and regionally as the mayor of a city. Ms. Azeita “fourth time’s a charm” Taylor is indeed in her bid for office in Copperas Cove. She has run against Marty Smith, Kirby Lack, and David Morris in her previous runs for council. The photographer and former journalist has a degree in emergency management from Central Texas College and has spent her time not running for office in 2016 and 2017 by building a presence in the community (any would-be candidates, take note). Odds are strong that Taylor would make it to the run-off.

Curmudgeon predicts there will be at least one “unknown” dark-horse candidate. Someone who’s got a burr under their saddle about an issue (Business 190 median, FATHOM, etc.) but is new to municipal government elections. Someone earnest and well-meaning.

Ding, ding! Joann Courtland is new to Copperas Cove politics, but indications are that she is an earnest and well-meaning individual who is stepping up to throw her hat in with the idea of helping her community. Ms. Courtland is a veteran, former helicopter pilot, works as a contractor on Fort Hood, and also runs a nonprofit Operation Stand Down Central Texas. She is running against Cheryl Meredith for place 1.

Will there be more candidates filing for office by the end of the day on Monday?

Maybe one more? 

Stay tuned, y'all!