First, a public service announcement: City Council incumbents of varying degrees of bad are being challenged in Wards 1, 4, 5, 7, and 11.
DFL caucuses are April 4th. Consider donating, volunteering and–especially–caucusing for one of the challengers in these races. 2017 is your last chance to decide which candidates get to spend the next four years making decisions about police reform, transit, zoning, bikes, and whatever other local stuff you care about.
City government is the easiest level of politics for one person (you!) to have an impact. This is your moment!
Fundraising. We’re still waiting to find out what Council President Barb Johnson spent on cable TV, internet, cell phone service, and landlines for her homes. Barb is traditionally late with her filing.
Yes Barb spends over $7100 in campaign funds on those things every year, but doesn’t pay anyone to file her reports on time. pic.twitter.com/cKguzYEF88— Wedge LIVE! (@WedgeLIVE) February 5, 2017
In Ward 7, Lisa Goodman has the biggest bank account of all the City Council incumbents. Fortunately, Janne Flisrand is challenging Goodman. Janne is the only candidate endorsed by Wedge LIVE.
Here’s how Goodman is making her case to Ward 7 residents:
Lisa Goodman will probably spend $200,000 this year telling you how progressive she is, then spend 4 years acting like she never said it. pic.twitter.com/KpPhj7SmjA— Wedge LIVE! (@WedgeLIVE) February 3, 2017
Janne Flisrand is running against Lisa Goodman this year. You might find her flyer more believable. pic.twitter.com/TzxeizpH1u— Wedge LIVE! (@WedgeLIVE) February 3, 2017
Current Ward 3 Council Member Jacob Frey has decided to run for Mayor. His campaign got a boost when a campaign finance board ruled he could use the nearly $200,000 he raised as a City Council candidate for his Mayoral campaign.
The vacuum left by Frey in Ward 3 has been filled by a steady stream of candidates, most notably by Steven Fletcher (DFL), Cordelia Pierson (DFL), Samantha Pree-Stinson (Green Party), Ginger Jentzen (Socialist)–and many, many more.
The problem: nobody in the Ward 3 clown car is named Anton Schieffer. Schieffer is a nationally regarded YIMBY icon and fitness celebrity with over a decade of cyber security experience. Please join the “Draft Anton” movement by tweeting any of the following images using the hashtag #time4anton.
“Transgender candidates for Mpls. City Council seek a voice at the table.” The Star Tribune has a story about Phillipe Cunningham (Ward 4) and Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8). Neither wants to focus their campaigns on the fact that they are transgender, but both are aware of the historical significance of their candidacies.
Mohamud Noor is reportedly challenging Ward 6 incumbent Abdi Warsame. Drama.