Another presidential campaign is slowly taking shape well behind the scenes of the more celebrated contest currently playing out across the country. Most insiders expect Council President Barb Johnson not to seek re-election to her safe Ward 4 seat in 2009 and retire. CM Elizabeth Glidden (Ward 8) and Betsy Hodges (Ward 13) are both putting out feelers to gauge their support among their colleagues for a “presidential” run. Alas, this is a very, very quiet campaign.
Out in Front
Several of the Minneapolis mayoral wannabees were jockeying for attention during the recent Gay Pride festivities (Ralph Remington led the Council pack throughout the parade). All the Council members rode scooters during the parade — except Gary Schiff, who went upscale and waved to the crowd from a convertible.
Ward 10 Fight?
While Remington remains coy about his prospective mayoral run, he may want to keep an eye on his own backyard, where one-time Ward 10 council candidate Doug Kress is eyeing a run against the first-term council member. Indeed, insiders say Kress, currently an aide to Ward 7 CM Lisa Goodman, has committed himself to challenging Remington. Kress apparently believes the incumbent to be vulnerable, given Remington’s sometimes confrontational manner with neighborhood activists and his sometimes explosive relationship with the Police Federation. Kress will also cite Remington’s waffling on the Uptown building moratorium as a central campaign issue.
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