On the last day and the last hour of of Black History Month, 2021, I think it’s important to post something publicly that I normally keep private: I’m about to reveal my vote for the mayor of the city of Georgetown, Texas.

Normally, I don’t talk about it. I value my right to keep my vote private. But this time, it bears mentioning that I put my hat into Jonathan’s ring. Why? Well, to be honest, it was because Dade inspired me.

It all started on June 7, 2020. While others were rioting around the country, Dade showed up at the square as a keynote speaker at an event named, rightly, A Prayer for Black Lives Lost to Police Violence. Why attend? Well, aside from our horror at the death of George Floyd, and also aside from the fact that we wanted any excuse to go outdoors in 2020, Dade showed some grace under fire that impressed us.

While riots burned and looter stormed other parts of the country, a few of Dade’s detractors seized this as an opportunity to paint his prayer on the Georgetown Square as an act of civil disobedience. Not so, replied Dade. This is a prayer, he reasoned, not even a “peaceful protest.” Why not pray for black lives? That’s not prejudice, it’s focus.

“I’m the police chaplain,” Dade continued. “I pray for and with the police every week as part of my job.” This event, he explained, was something different.

And in the event, Dade explained that the words “Black Lives Matter” are just that: a topic in a national conversation. Why not say, “All lives matter?” Dade explained that the point is that, while all lives certainly do matter, we want to talk specifically about the lives of black people, and to unveil their human condition. “Think prejudice doesn’t exist?” said Dade, “Try a week in Columbia, Gringo.”

Sidenote: I worked for a multinational company for 3 years. He’s right.

Dade caught my attention so thoroughly that he won my vote on the spot. But when his Synagogue was vandalized, I decided it was time to meet him.

Graciously, Dade gave me a lengthy interview in Downtown Georgetown, and told me his whole story. I can’t retell it all here, though you’ll see more from me about Dade in the coming weeks and months. But I left even more fascinated, after learning from Dade that he’s a Messianic Jewish Rabbi, Navy veteran, and self-made businessman. Jonathan Dade is married to Melinda Dade, and they fostered to adopt two beautiful children.

Dade describes himself as a man who just wanted the American Dream. In the words of a cultural pioneer, he tells a tale of moving into Georgetown, Texas, and settling as close to the Country Club as possible. He was, as he describes it, the only black man there. Note the past tense, “was.” Jonathan is no longer a member. According to Dade, he was drummed out not long after he joined.

Other social woes seem to haunt this minister turned candidate, and most of them are despicable. Among them: Jonathan Dade stole valor. From as far away as Florida, determined trolls pipped Dade with kerfuffles such as an accusation of parking in the wrong spot in Georgetown Texas. Why Florida cares about that is anyone’s guess, but after attacks much like this one, Dade soon discovered that his military records were leaked to an unknown party. Dade concluded, naturally, that one of his enemies obtained a rogue copy of his records in an attempt to expose him as a fraud. It’s hard to disagree.

Add to that the surprise and disappointment I felt when Dade told me how the Republican office in Georgetown canceled him. Dade ran as a Republican, but one day, he posted a celebration picture on his personal timeline. His family just got a new hot tub. He took a photo of a Jose Cuervo bottle, posted it, and talked about how they would be celebrating that night in their own home. The result? On his next visit to the Republican Party headquarters, he learned that he was ousted. The reason: Tequila.

I’m from Southeast Texas, y’all. I’ve met a lot of Republican heavy drinkers. Since when did liquor in your own home warrant an eviction?

The sad fact here is that Jonathan Dade is almost the perfect Republican. He’s a veteran, family man, and very serious about his service to God. On the question of police funding, Dade answered, “Defunding the police is going the wrong direction. Georgetown has a good police ratio of officers to citizens, but some of these other places need way more police than they have.” This sounds Republican, right? Well, there’s the “almost.” If he were perfect, why was he rejected?

I know where my mind goes, and I don’t like it.

The fact is, Dade himself said there was no way he expected to win the mayoral race. He ran so that he could talk to the people. His topic? Social justice. A man who only wants to live his life, but finds himself thwarted and slammed at every turn has a perfect soapbox. Add to this the perfect set of pipes and a dynamic speaking voice, and Dade was the most interesting candidate in the world. (With apologies to Dos Equis…)

So why vote for Jonathan Dade? Maybe it’s because I see the “separate Georgetowns” that Dr. Ron Swain talks about (Courageous Conversations). Maybe because I’ve been that woman in a conference room with men who take my suggestions and then steal them as their own ideas. I’ve been an underdog, I’ve seen the underdogs, and I wish there were a way to help us all.

But mostly it’s this: Jonathan Dade is everything I admire in a political candidate. Black Lives Matter? Yes. But let’s leave color out of this for one moment. I did not weight my vote. When I looked at Dade, I saw a qualified mayor, and for my part, I elected him.

So, during Black History Month 2021, I can say that I know the history of at least one black man. And under the skin, he looks a lot like me.

In fact, Dade confirmed that for me when I asked him his favorite song. “Taylor Swift,” he said. “Anything by Taylor Swift. You know, I think it kind of speaks to my ‘inner white girl.’”

I knew it!