If you hand out my pamphlets, I’ll hand out yours. Such is the
political symbiosis in Gilroy between mayoral candidate Craig
Gartman and council candidate Perry Woodward.
Gilroy – If you hand out my pamphlets, I’ll hand out yours.
Such is the political symbiosis in Gilroy between mayoral candidate Craig Gartman and council candidate Perry Woodward. At Gartman’s behest, they have joined forces during the past three weeks because the two conservatives agree on most of the issues, Woodward said, but also because the move essentially halves the footwork necessary to win an election here.
“Gilroy has grown, so it’s not really practical for one guy to knock on every door in town, so Craig and I talked about working in tandem,” Woodward said. “He hasn’t endorsed me, and I haven’t endorsed him, but we do see eye-to-eye on issues,” Woodward added, referring mainly to Gartman’s rejections of the sidewalk liability ordinance and the new pay plan for the city’s 42 top-level, non-unionized employees.
One issue the two haven’t agreed on, though, is the proposed Westfield Mall project planned for 120 of the 660 acres east of town. Gartman’s said it’s a “win-win” situation, but Woodward remains unsure and was actually on his way to meet with Westfield representatives Friday “because I’m trying to get acquainted with all the issues,” he said.
“This is a unique opportunity to get the information I need,” Woodward said. “Nobody on the council offers to help.”
Except Gartman, that is.
The mayoral candidate said he has also helped Planning Commissioner and council candidate Tim Day acquire yard signs and candidate Bob Dillon get voter records for targeted mailing lists.
“It really doesn’t matter to me who the candidates endorse,” Gartman said, adding that Woodward and fellow candidate Cat Tucker are the only two who haven’t endorsed Mayor Al Pinheiro. “What I’m looking at is, who are my friends, and who can I offer my assistance to? Politics aside.”
While the two haven’t formally endorsed each other and aren’t sharing any money, their political friendship has rooted itself in similar conservative ideologies.
“I don’t know Perry that well, but based on what I’ve heard from him and what I’ve read in the paper, he has a philosophy I can support, but that doesn’t mean we won’t (butt) heads on issues (if we’re elected) to the council, because no matter who you are, we’re going to have disagreements down the road,” Gartman said. “As mayor, I don’t want to see seven heads bobbing up and down saying, ‘Yes, we agree. We agree. We agree.’ I want seven independent minds thinking and coming up with independent ideas.”
Woodward said he’s received nothing but positive feedback from residents who have learned of his strategy with Gartman, and as a lawyer who deals with commercial real estate issues, he said he can recognize a ploy, and that’s not who Gartman is.
“I’m in a business where people are often not forthright, and you learn quickly when people are trying to manipulate you and put their own interests ahead of the general good. I have a pretty attuned sense for when that’s going on, and Craig doesn’t strike me like that,” Woodward said. “If Craig and I are making waves by what we’re doing, and what we’re doing is right, then the rest of the council better learn how to swim.”
Maybe so, but Councilman Dion Bracco cautioned that a loose partnership like Gartman and Woodward’s does have its ups and downs.
“If you’re both real popular, it’s probably a plus,” Bracco said, “but if one of you goes down in flames, then the other will go down, most likely.”
Day seemed to recognize this. He said he appreciated any support he could get from the other candidates, but he plans to campaign for himself, by himself.
“Perry and Craig are free to do what they’re comfortable with,” Day said, “but I’m running on my own merits.”
Despite his many accolades, Mayor Pinheiro said he won’t endorse any one in turn because “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me as a mayoral candidate to tell the community to choose this person or that person.”
But Gartman said since he and Woodward share philosophies, “I want to help get him elected while I’m running.”
“If you like my philosophy on how the city should be run,” Gartman said, “then also take a look at Perry Woodward.”
