Election day is Tuesday, November 6. That’s tomorrow. You should vote! Here’s my guide to races in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Go to mnvotes.org to find your polling place.
Hennepin County Sheriff: Dave “Hutch” Hutchinson. Rich Stanek is the Trump-supporting incumbent. He’s eager to deport as many immigrants as he can. That doesn’t change unless we elect Hutch as Sheriff. Read my full endorsement of Dave Hutch.
Hennepin County Attorney: Mark Haase. Don’t overlook this vital elected office. Criminal justice reform is on the ballot. Mike Freeman has held this job off-and-on since the early 90s. The only way to change how our local justice system operates is to elect Mark Haase as the next Hennepin County Attorney. Read my full endorsement of Mark Haase.
Hennepin County Commissioner, District 2: Irene Fernando. Irene Fernando impresses me over and over again with how prepared she is to do this job. Blong Yang has an unimpressive history as a Minneapolis DFL City Council Member. Now he’s running a campaign reliant on the votes of suburban Republicans. Read my full endorsement of Irene Fernando.
Hennepin County Commissioner, District 4: Angela Conley. As a county employee, Conley has helped people navigate the system. She knows what it’s like to be a transit-dependent mom on public assistance. I find her to be delightful, determined, and capable. Angela Conley is the progressive candidate running an inspiring campaign. Peter McLaughlin is the well-connected, longtime incumbent with a fat finance report. Read my full endorsement of Angela Conley.
Hennepin County Commissioner, District 3: Marion Greene. Marion Greene is the only candidate running an active campaign.
Minneapolis School Board: Josh Pauly and Kimbery Caprini (VOTE FOR TWO). Incumbent Rebecca Gagnon is a disaster as an elected official. Josh Pauly, a former Minneapolis teacher, and Kimberly Caprini, a longtime schools volunteer, have been impressive at candidate forums. The fourth candidate in the race, Sharon El-Amin, recently had to apologize for transphobic/homophobic comments she made on Facebook in 2016. Read my full endorsement of Josh Pauly and Kimberly Caprini.
Vote “Yes” on both school funding ballot intiatives. I believe in the future of Minneapolis. That means we need to fund quality schools that serve every family, in every neighborhood.
Vote “Yes” to repeal liquor spacing requirements. The current law is overly restrictive: “The city currently only allows businesses connected to seven acres of commercial property to apply for a full liquor license beyond beer and wine.”
Helpful tip about judges. If you live in Hennepin County, most judges on your ballot are running unopposed. In cases where there are two candidates, vote for the incumbent. I won’t bother explaining why, but I have done the research on this!