Editorial: Temperament and Character Matter When Picking a New Mayor

FROM LEFT: Mayoral candidates Michael Hunt, Claudette Smith, Carl Karas, Ginger Nelson/Photos by Campaigns

By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief

For four years, I have made the case that Ginger Nelson’s record as Mayor and as a member of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Board should be problem areas for voters. After all, voters who are looking for a responsible steward of their tax dollars should probably not elect someone who was involved in a questionable real estate deal which drew the attention of the FBI before they ran for office. However, even with Nelson’s horrible record, I still do not believe this means her challengers should get a free pass. Believe it or not, Amarillo could get stuck with a worse elected official or perhaps someone who acts in the same way as Nelson, but who brings a new face and name to the table.

With this in mind, I have been very quiet about my thoughts on individual candidates and their backgrounds, temperaments, plans, and records. I have quietly observed the candidates throughout the election and have seen where my beliefs line up with the candidates and where they differ. But, perhaps most importantly, I have been looking at the candidates’ character, hoping to avoid electing another bad mayor with baggage of their own.

You may be wondering why I continue to mention the temperament issue, and there is a very simple reason. For years, I have watched Nelson belittle and punish her political opponents, having people arrested in City Council meetings and using her position in the City Council meetings to shut down opposing voices. Outside of City Hall, I have seen Nelson treat constituents with disrespect and pick fights with local business leaders like Alex Fairly. Personally, I also received a berating from Nelson’s husband a few years ago in front of City Hall related to my columns about her conduct in office.

So, I have seen first hand how Nelson’s temperament and attitude are not becoming of an individual tasked with representing a large group of citizens with varying backgrounds and opinions. Nelson’s conduct in office has been bad and should certainly disqualify her from receiving approval for a third term in office.

But, there is another candidate whose temperament also concerns me, and I believe voters should consider this person’s conduct very carefully before they vote to determine whether this candidate is someone with whom they would truly feel comfortable handing the keys to the mayor’s office for two years.

Candidate Claudette Smith has been running a campaign that seems to be built entirely around a message of not being Ginger Nelson. Using what appears to be a ripoff of Kim Klacik’s viral congressional ad from 2020, Smith can be seen in social media videos walking around downtown, pointing at buildings in anger and talking about the problems in Amarillo without offering any real solutions.

Perhaps the reason Smith has no solutions is because she was never truly involved until right before she decided to run for mayor in 2019, so she doesn’t have the knowledge of key events of the past that should inform the decisions of future City Councils. Consider that in a 2018 interview, Smith even said she had not been a voter in the past.

This makes me wonder whether Smith voted in 2015 or 2017 — two pivotal election cycles that put us in the position we are in today as taxpayers. If Smith didn’t vote, does she understand the events which led to the completion of the downtown catalyst project? At the very least, it would helpful for her to have this knowledge to prevent history from repeating itself when it comes to the failures of past City Councils.

But, Smith’s lack of participation and lack of a clear direction for our city are not the only problems her candidacy presents. Smith also has heavy ties to a pair of Facebook pages that have been used to spread debunked conspiracy theories, post memes of elected officials in Nazi garb, and attack small business owners. And it’s not as if these pages are operating at arm’s length from Smith. In fact, many of the posts made to the pages have been signed “Vote Claudette Smith for Mayor,” or some variation of such statement, or have directly tagged her campaign for promotional purposes.

Both of the Facebook pages are operated by Smith’s significant other, Mike Fisher, who she praised as “her rock throughout this entire campaign” in a post made to her campaign Facebook page the day after Election Day in 2019. Businesses owned by Fisher have also heavily financed Smith’s campaign this cycle, kicking in a $2,500 in-kind contribution for her website and $7,545.98 in loans. It is also worth noting the address listed on the business providing the loans, MCF Management, is the same address at which Smith’s business, Escape the Trap House, is located.

A Facebook ad library disclaimer showing Michael Fisher as the owner of the Amarillo By Mourning Facebook page/Screenshot

In the opinion of this writer, it is quite clear Smith is not distant from the pages.

When asked by KVII-TV during an interview earlier this year about the pages and the controversial content they post, Smith said, “Well, I wasn't aware they were endorsing me so I have no clue about that.”

After this statement, Smith was asked whether the content on the pages concerned her, to which she replied, “You know why it doesn't concern me because we have freedom of speech.”

It should be expected Smith would make such a comment. After all, why go against one of the top financers of your campaign when you need the campaign checks to continue rolling in?

A Facebook ad library disclaimer showing Michael Fisher as the owner of the Take It in the Gas Facebook page/Screenshot

Look, I have nothing personal against Claudette Smith, but I do have an issue with lies and people running for office either misleading constituents or having a platform through which they could easily mislead constituents. Personally, my business and family members have been the targets of Fisher's attacks over the years, but I never spoke out, believing that removing Nelson from office should be the top priority. However, after watching Smith’s conduct this election cycle, I have come to the realization that this discussion about temperament and character must be had by voters truly dedicated to selecting a quality representative for our city.

I have repeatedly called out Nelson for lying over the years and I have serious concerns about handing the keys to mayor’s office to a different candidate who not only has a sporadic record of involvement, but who also has no problems being closely linked to a platform where conspiracies and false information are spewed like water out of a fountain.

Character matters and temperament matters when we are selecting someone new to lead our city. Nelson has shown she does not have the character or temperament to lead this city. But from what I have seen so far, I also have my doubts as to whether Smith is ready to lead this city when she seems more comfortable being a divider than a results maker and unifyer.

I will almost certainly draw criticism from Smith’s fan base for this article, and I might also get some nasty emails from supporters of Nelson. Smith’s supporters will surely call me a liberal despite the fact I have voted in every Republican primary for which I have been eligible while Smith apparently stayed home until 2018. But, over the years, I have made my reputation as someone who is unafraid to speak his mind and make the case to Amarilloans about what is best for our city. And I don’t intend to change despite what names Smith’s supporters are likely to call me.

At this time, I am unconvinced that Claudette Smith is right for Amarillo. In fact, I am very certain she is completely wrong for this community.

When I step into the booth on Election Day, I know who I will be voting for, and it won’t be Claudette Smith or Ginger Nelson. Amarillo deserves a mayor who can bring people together, speak the truth, and deliver results which are in the best interests of all of our community, not just a select few. And with their track records speaking for themselves, neither Smith nor Nelson appear capable of doing that.