Mr. Jon Tevlin is one of the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s few remaining high-quality columnists. So of course he’s in the “B” section, not the corporate bootlicker-dominated op-ed pages. It’s a pleasure to have a reason to link one of his items, here.
Last week, four last-minute candidates filed to run for the Sixth Ward Minneapolis City Council seat. They all shared a common East African heritage. They also shared first or last names similar to the DFL’s endorsed candidate, Abdi Warsame.
Warsame suggested they might have been prompted to run by sitting Council Member Robert Lilligren to confuse voters with a slate of unfamiliar, yet similar names.
When called by Star Tribune reporter Maya Rao, one candidate, Abdulahi Mahamud Warsame, said he’d withdrawn his name immediately after filing. Rao tried to track down the new candidates, but found one had listed an address that didn’t exist. She used databases to follow other possible addresses, but ended up in an Burnsville yogurt shop.
You can click here for the official lists of candidates for all of the Minneapolis elections scheduled for November 5. Ward 6 is just a few flicks of the scrolling wheel down the page.
Lilligren denied involvement. His campaign previously accused Warsame’s of unethical, at least, tactics during the endorsement process. Also note that Mahamed Cali’s campaign does appear to be for real; whether he will significantly split the Somali vote, and give Lilligren a better chance, I frankly have no idea. Input is welcome.
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