Regular readers of Face The State know we're big fans of the short-message social networking site Twitter, and the many Colorado political movers and shakers who "tweet" their thoughts to the world. But as candidate Barack Obama's legions of Internet-savvy supporters demonstrated, Twitter can also be a powerful tool on the campaign trail. Longmont city council candidate Katie Witt is testing that theory on a more local level: she'll be all a-Twitter as she sits in on tonight's business at city hall.
WittSpecial to FTS
"I'm just trying it out to see how it goes," Witt told Face The State. She says her posts will be part play-by-play accounting of the night's action, with "a twist of my own personal viewpoints" sprinkled in.
Witt announced this spring the Ward 2 seat on the city council, and will likely face incumbent councilwoman Karen Benker, who is widely expected to stand for re-election but has not yet announced. Witt is keeping her campaign gears in motion after launching an unsuccessful challenge against state Senate President Brandon Shaffer last year.
This year's municipal election is drawing more attention than usual due in part to the involvement of vocal city business owners who have formed a coalition to influence city policy. The group, Longmont Investing For Tomorrow, is targeting 4 council members, including Benker, for "stalling or outright opposing" the redevelopment of Twin Peaks Mall, among other issues.
Tonight's council study session isn't scheduled to include debate of the Twin Peaks site, but will cover federal stimulus money and city general fund projections for the coming year. All fodder for some juicy "tweets."
If you're in Longmont, fire up the meeting on cable TV and follow along on Witt's Twitter page for her running commentary. She's hoping voters will like what they read.