Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Meck, did his best to crash the Hillary Clinton rally held in Charlotte today, but two innocent bystanders crashed his party. Well...one innocent bystander...the other is MCDP 1st Vice Chair and volunteer extraordinaire Jane Whitley. Jane's one of those people that when something needs to be done, there she is. Today, something needed to be done.

I'ma let her tell the story.

District 2 of Mecklenburg County's Board of County Commissioners has been in need of fresh leadership for a very long time and Lula Dualeh has stepped up to offer the type of leadership this district has been sorely lacking. Lula moved into District 2 with her parents when she was six years old. She grew up in the district, went to school in the district, and has spent her entire adult life in the district. She knows first-hand the needs and concerns of the residents on Mecklenburg County's West Side.

Lula is focusing on economic development, education, and transportation - issues that are vital to West Side residents. Her words are so much more powerful than mine, so I am sharing them here for each issue.

Economic Development

District 2 is a large district with communities extending from Biddleville to Steele Creek. Throughout those areas, we have a tale of two communities where there is extreme prosperity and poverty. And while I’m proud of the district that raised me, I know that behind every shocking statistic are real tears, real people suffering. District 2 deserves a fierce champion who will fight for all of District 2, not only certain communities. Recently, we have read, heard and seen developers express their vision for District 2, many times without the community input. As a connector, I will fight to ensure our communities concerns are met when developers begin to build for a future we all would love to see. I believe District 2 a renaissance of history, culture and excitement where we highlight and celebrate our wonderful communities. Where we have walkable businesses and beautiful parks all while preserving our historical integrity. I promise to always represent you and our District’s best interests as your next County Commissioner.

The candidates running for mayor in Charlotte are campaigning hard and so far only one has gone negative with a push poll. Jennifer Roberts conducted a poll with negative, leading questions about the other Democrats in the race. According to the Charlotte Observer, her team claims it isn't a push poll because it isn't close enough to the September primary, and it isn't a large enough sample.

One of Randy Voller’s last acts as chair was to announce that he would not run for re-election to helm the North Carolina Democratic Party. He must be commended for his announcement as it was a selfless ownership of responsibility for this year’s election and provides the opportunity for the Party to start anew ahead of the 2016 elections. North Carolina Democrats have a lot of work cut out for them, yet I remain optimistic for what lies ahead for our party.

A couple of months ago a group of Democrats in Mecklenburg County met to select Senator Dan Clodfelter's replacement, after he resigned his seat to serve as mayor of Charlotte. Of the four candidates running, only two had enough support from the delegates to be considered serious challengers. Jeff Jackson was one of the two and while it was not a contentious election, something happened that prompted Jackson to step up and show his true character.

Another candidate, Darryl Bonaparte, had apparently failed to line up anyone to nominate him or to speak on his behalf. Ultimately, Darryl nominated himself, but when it came time for someone to second the nomination there was awkward silence. This is when Jeff Jackson stepped forward and did what may seem unthinkable to most of us in politics - he seconded Darryl's nomination and gave a sincere speech in support of his opponent.