Camp to seek re-election
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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
Councilman Jon Camp is running. But not for what you think.
After months of dropping hints he was going to run for mayor, Camp announced Tuesday he will instead run for a third term on the council in the spring election.
He said it was a difficult decision because hundreds of people asked him to run for mayor, but he decided Sunday that serving as mayor would interfere too much with his job as managing partner of Haymarket Square. He owns eight buildings in the Haymarket District.
“It’s my livelihood, and it takes a lot of work to do it,” he said. “There’s just not someone (in line) to replace me.”
It’s not that he didn’t think he would win. At one point, Camp suggested fellow Republican Ken Svoboda step aside and let him run.
On Tuesday, Camp said Svoboda’s candidacy had very little impact on his decision and said he would have been the most qualified candidate.
“Quite frankly, I know that I could’ve been elected,” he said.
Svoboda said if that’s the case, Camp should have run.
Camp declined to comment on his “good friend” Svoboda’s candidacy or endorse him. That’s for another day, he said.
Clearly, Camp seriously considered a run: He had a campaign slogan in mind (“Cut the red tape, not the red ribbons”), knew how much a campaign would cost ($275,000 to $300,000) and had worked on a campaign speech.
“I would not be truthful if I didn’t say I would like the privilege of being mayor,” he said.
Camp said he was not pressured by the Republican Party to run or not run. Aside from Svoboda, Democratic Sen. Chris Beutler and Independent Roger Yant are running.
Svoboda and Camp have long known about each other’s interest in the mayor’s seat. The two talked about their desire to run in the fall of 2004, and late last year Svoboda told Camp he intended to run.
Svoboda said Camp suggested he sit out the 2007 election and run in 2011, but Svoboda declined. Svoboda said he understands it’s difficult for Camp because Camp wanted to run for mayor in 2003, but deferred to the more senior Councilman Glenn Friendt.
This time, Camp is the senior councilman, but Svoboda sensed the time was right for him and started cultivating support and raising money long ago.
“I think it was Jon facing the wall,” he said.
While Camp has garnered a lot of press while mulling a mayoral run, he’s not the only council member who has a decision to make: Four district seats are up for grabs in the spring.
Aside from Camp, the remaining three seats are held by Democrats: Annette McRoy in the northwest district, Patte Newman in the northeast district and Jonathan Cook in the southwest district.
McRoy and Newman haven’t formally announced their candidacies, but both said Tuesday they intend to run for re-election. Cook was not available for comment but recently said he’s still mulling a run for mayor.
Camp made his candidacy formal in a series of press interviews.
He said he wants to elevate the City Council’s status by moving to a city manager format, where the mayor acts like a CEO, the manager acts like a company president and the council acts like a board of directors.
He also wants to move the mayor’s ombudsman to the City Council office and hire researchers for the council.
He senses a “throw the bums out” sentiment about the City Council these days, but notes he’s often been on the losing end of 6-1 votes. He said he wants to restore confidence in the council and start focusing on big issues.
“I think the city government has stalled to a certain extent,” he said. “We spend way too much time on the nickel-and-dime issues and letting dollar issues go by.”
While he doesn’t think the council election comes down to party affiliation, he senses a shift in public sentiment about growth and business. He believes the central issue in the spring city election will be jobs.
He said government should facilitate, not dictate, economic development and promises to continue to be the “citizens’ watchdog” on the council. Svoboda said he would expect nothing less from Camp.
Although the two don’t talk as much as they used to, Svoboda said he still considers Camp a “friend and adviser.”
“It was obviously a very, very difficult decision for Jon to make,” Svoboda said.
Right before going on a radio talk show to announce his plans, Camp made a courtesy call to Svoboda, saying he wanted him to be the first to know his decision.
Of course, Svoboda had heard about Camp’s plans from other sources, and the news was already being announced on another radio station, but Svoboda said he appreciated the gesture anyway.
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
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