I support Xay for mayor. First of all, he got a solid, perhaps even unprecedented number of votes for a first time candidate, and one of the foundations of a democratic system is that the person with the most votes wins! Second, he has the background and the experience to breathe new life into a council which to many Newporters’ ways of thinking is far too focused on Travel and Tourism, to the detriment of other issues like affordable housing, the needs of low income residents, infrastructure, education, and the environment. If the hard work he put in campaigning for the job is any indication, then Xay is definitely up for putting in the long hours needed to be an effective mayor. He is also young and he is a dynamic and informed speaker. With all due respect to current council members, we need new blood and a fresh perspective.
Anne Benson, Newport resident