Want to be Mayor of Minneapolis? How about a City Council member? Unless you filed on or before Aug. 10, wait for the next round – which for council members is coming sooner than usual.
In Minneapolis, there are 16 candidates vying for the seat held by Jacob Frey, who is seeking a second term. They include Nate “Honey Badger” Atkins, AJ Awed, Troy Benjegerdes, Bob “Again” Carney, Jr., Clint Conner, Christopher W. David, Mark Globus, Marcus Harcus, Kate Knuth, Paul E. Johnson, Doug Nelson, Shelia Nezhad, Jerrell Perry, Laverne Turner, Kevin “No Body” Ward and Mike Winter.
All 13 of the City Council seats are up. In the First Ward, incumbent Kevin Reich will run against Calvin L. Carpenter, Elliott Payne and Thomas E. Wortman.
Third Ward candidates include incumbent Steve Fletcher, Hope Hennessey, Merv Moorhead and Michael Rainville.
Candidates for the Board of Estimate and Taxation are Steve Brandt, Kevin Nikiforakis, Samantha “Sam” Pree-Stinson and Pine Salica. Only two will be winners.
Running for an at-large position on the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board are Meg Forney, Londel French, Katherine Kelly, Mary McKelvey, Tom Olsen, Charles Rucker and Alicia D. Smith. Voters will choose three.
Billy Menz is the only registered candidate for commissioner for Park Board District 1, which includes Northeast.
According to a City of Minneapolis press release, “Due to the timing of State and City redistricting, City Council members elected in 2021 will serve a two-year term. In 2023 an election will be held for another two-year term for council members. No other City offices will be on the 2023 ballot. City Council terms will return to a normal four-year cycle with the 2025 municipal election.” Visit https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/ for information on polling places, ballot questions and ranked choice voting.
St. Anthony filings
St. Anthony residents will be asked to select two for City Council. Four candidates filed before the deadline: Jan Jenson (incumbent), Ayesha Lynn Khan, Thomas Kuykendall and Wendy Webster (incumbent). (Webster was appointed in 2019 to fill the seat vacated by Randy Stille when he became mayor.)
Voters will also elect three school board positions. Three people filed for office: Mageen Caines, Laura Oksnevad and Michael Overman. Incumbent Barry Kinsey, who has served on the board since 1990, and incumbent Leah Slye are not running.
No elections will be held in Columbia Heights or Hilltop.
The General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 2. Early voting begins Sept. 17. See upcoming issues of the Northeaster for candidate interviews.