Swing, and a miss.

Joe Kerr can still be listed as a retired firefighter.

So, just to put the issue to rest, a few hours ago, Esther Kim Varet’s efforts to have Joe Kerr’s ballot ID changed from RETIRED FIREFIGHTER CAPTAIN to THIRD MILLI VANILLI MEMBER were struck down. A judge, Stephen Acquisto, denied the Petition for Writ of Mandate, and life moves onward.

And I just wanna add a few thoughts:

First, I wish Lisa Ramirez were running a better campaign, because—on paper, at least—she strikes me as the best available Democratic candidate. But the buzz isn’t there.

Second, I wish Perry Meade hadn’t dropped out, because he had something snazzy going dowm.

Third, I wish I could go back in time, to the first moment I interviewed Esther Kim Varet. She was smart and reasonable and armed with a plan. She was fun and engaging. I didn’t see the thin skin, the bite, the weird IG posts. There was reason to believe. I long for that.

Fourth, Prop 50 is a great thing for America.

Fifth, Prop 50 makes this election a super longshot for Democrats.

Sixth, I might have discounted Joe Kerr far too early. If the vote were held today, you’d probably have Ken Calvert and Young Kim fighting for the top two positions, then Kerr five or six points back.

Seventh, sometimes elections aren’t for winning, so much as positioning. Like, Lisa Ramirez will walk away from this with greater name recognition. If she chooses to run for something else down the road, that will help. “Oh, I remember you …”

For Joe, however, this feels like a last-gasp shot. For better and for worse.

Oy.