The vacuum the mayor’s absence has created has been filled with the rise to prominence on the city council of Mike McLaughlin.
McLaughlin has a strong work ethic. He is ambitious.
He is involved, as fully involved as a fire racing through a three family home.
While some people are busy falling McLaughlin is rising.
It is a difficult, indeed, a near to impossible task to make a big difference when you are a vote of one on the city council. Without five additional votes to move forward his business, well, his business can’t get done.
It is a prideful thing to fight and to lose or to fight and to come close to winning in the political spectrum here.
This a young man who has overcome adversity, who has educated himself, who has risen to be someone to contend with in his hometown. He has higher aspirations and ambitions.
The Mike McLaughlin we are coming to know is far from perfect – but he is genuine about himself and who he is and what he seeks.
Most importantly, he is highly visible in the city everyday.
McLaughlin wants to seek higher office. He is apparently considering a run for representative.
McLaughlin is the real thing.