Here is a recent, determinedly non-partisan article about the campaigns of incumbent Diane Hofstede, and DFL-endorsed challenger Jacob Frey. There is also a Green Party candidate, Kristina Gronquist. But, as may be the case with non-DFL candidates throughout the city in competitive races, unless she can get serious traction, a vote for her will essentially be a vote for one’s second choice, as RCV is being used.
In an extremely unusual undertaking, four current City Council members are publicly opposing Hofstede’s reelection. Their beef is that she is unresponsive to constituents and habitually shows up uninformed and unprepared for meetings. More fundamentally, her presence on the Council is seen by many as a vanity project of someone whose time and resources would be better spent elsewhere.
Among activists in general, Hofstede, in addition to the above, is simply regarded as not progressive enough. The question is how much of the general electorate will share that view – especially the…perhaps it’s not too much too term it “cold, hard fury” targeting anyone that supported the Vikings stadium deal. Which is looking very much like the possible kiss of death for more incumbents than just Hofstede. (It already has been, for Sandy Colvin Roy.) Because when you’ve even got a curmudgeonly old sports columnist with little use for “liberals” admitting that Minneapolis took a royal screwing…
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