In this day in age, politicians aren’t the most trusted public figures in the country, despite the fact that they’re some of the most powerful and influential. We’ve caught them in lies about adultery, scams and other sensational scandals. Dave Wilson, the newest member of Houston Community College Board of Trustees is no different, in terms of a scandal that is. But what makes his scandal unique? As a white anti-gay activist, who unsuccessful ran for Houston mayor in 2011, this time around he decided to pretend to be black in order to win votes from a predominantly black community.
Pretending to be another race isn’t something that one would think could be easily accomplished; however Wilson did so with ease. Wilson’s direct mail fliers on featured African American faces, which he admitted he simply found from the Internet, at the bottom was a caption that read “Pleas vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson.” In another flyer he said he was “Endorsed by Ron Wilson”, who voter assumed was their former state representative, an African American man. In small print a caption read, “Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins, “ in actuality Dave has a cousin named Ron Wilson in Iowa…not a ex- state representative.
Opponents, who Wilson barely beat in the election, by a mere 26 votes, are enraged and attempting to seek a recount. If Wilson never gets another political position, at least he’s made a name for himself.