Much has been said about the results of the 2006 primary election.  The shock waves are still being felt around the beltway.  Several phenomena set this election year apart from any others in the recent history of this region. 

First of all, the September 12^th primary election made history in Montgomery County.  For the first time, a black candidate will most likely become the next county executive, presiding over a predominantly white jurisdiction with a growing Asian and Latino population.  Whether you voted for Ike Leggett or agree with his philosophy, his milestone victory signals a new chapter in local government and will undoubtedly open doors for many more minorities who want to serve this great county. 

What makes the story even more remarkable and dramatic is that Adrian Fenty, who also made history as the youngest mayor-elect of Washington, D.C. in spite of all the early doubts of his ability to govern, was a former student of Professor Ike Leggett at Howard University Law School.  When the future D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty paid tribute to his former teacher and future Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett on the Kojo Nnamdi Show the day after the election, one couldn’t help but feel goose bumps.  What a great American story!

A clear lesson from this election is that in today’s Montgomery County, issues matter more than race in an election.  Both Ike Leggett and Steve Silverman are likeable and charismatic, both can run on their records in the Council, both have good grasp of the issues that concern their constitutes.  But when all is said and done, their philosophical differences on traffic and growth—two defining issues in this election—determined the election outcome.  With Leggett winning by a wide margin (26%), Montgomery County residents made it more than clear that they favor slower growth and want better infrastructure to sustain the quality of life that Montgomery County is known for.  Race became a non-issue in this race. 

What also made history this time around was the Asian American community’s unprecedented involvement in this election at both state and county levels.  There were Asian American sponsored fundraisers and house parties for almost every major contested position leading to the primary election.  Being 13% of the county’s overall population and mostly immigrants, Montgomery County’s Asian Americans are rapidly becoming a force in local politics. 

Though most Asian American sponsored activities tend to be for democratic candidates, reflecting partly the county’s candidate pool and partly our community’s overall voting pattern, Asian American votes are not to be taken for granted by either party as we tend to be swing votes.  We care more about what each candidate has to offer than his or her party affiliation.  Our core values of putting education and family first, delay of gratification, and personal responsibilities don’t change no matter which party we vote for or are affiliated with.  As we become more established and integrated, we are likely to be both more involved and less predictable as a voting group.  Like our non-Asian neighbors, colleagues, and friends, we are becoming more comfortable thinking and voting as individuals rather than a group.  After all, this is America.  When we transcend beyond race and other social labels and vote AS individuals and FOR individuals, we are one step closer to being true Americans.