Disclaimer...disclaimer...disclaimer:
What follows are rumors, albeit speedily making its way around insider
circles. I haven't been able to verify (sorry, I don't get paid to report
these), but I'm hoping list members can confirm/deny/discuss. I figured list
members should be in the loop, too. In any event, it's fun speculating, and
what follows is not an attempt to denigrate anyone.
OK, it all starts with District 2 (N. Minneapolis) park commissioner Ernie
Belton quitting the park board this summer. That's fact.
The rumor begins thusly: current at-large commissioner Rochelle Berry Graves
will give up her at-large campaign (for which she is DFL-endorsed) and
declare her candidacy for District 2 seat. (Running for a district seat is
usually easier than running city-wide.)
Bob Fine, current at-large commissioner, will give up his District 6 bid and
return to running at-large. Bob lost DFL endorsement to Tracy Nordstrom.
It gets interesting because when vacancies occur after the DFL convention,
the DFL Central Committee gets to endorse. Minneapolis DFL officers are
currently chewing over exactly how to do the District 2 endorsement. But
what if Rochelle Berry Graves gives UP one DFL endorsement - granted by
convention delegates - to get another one granted by the Central Committee?
Would the Central Committee want to encourage such post-convention
endorsement-switching, which risks disempowering delegates?
Bob Fine's case would be extremely interesting, too, should he choose to
seek DFL at-large endorsement. By all accounts, Bob is currently running
against a DFL-endorsed candidate, Tracy Nordstrom, in District 6. Would the
party want to turn around and give him its endorsement for the at-large seat
when he is challenging a DFL endorsee, even if he is a DFL incumbent? Stay
tuned.
A few other wrinkles: Jon Olson sought and lost the DFL endorsement for the
at-large parks district, but is still running and is heavily backed by
labor. Rumor is he could use his labor connections to be appointed when
Ernie Belton leaves (question to all: how are park vacancies filled?), and
could try to get either District 2 or at-large endorsement.
One other wrinkle: there was a boomlet at the DFL convention to only endorse
two of three at-large slots...a way to keep a spot "open" for former DFLer
and incumbent Annie Young. Would those same people try to prevent any new
at-large endorsement if one becomes open?
Last rumor: that Joan Niemiec, former city council member and now park board
staffer, will leave her job, to be replaced by...council member Kathy
Thurber. Kathy is a former park board member and, I believe, head of the
city's intergovernmental relations committee (the park job involves some
lobbying). The gossip is that Joan could leave either in a few weeks or at
the end of the year. If she left early, Kathy might leave her council seat,
necessitating an appointment (question: how is a city council vacancy filled
this close to an election?). On a council often split 7-6, with Kathy
Thurber in the majority, this could be interesting.
Again, it's rumor, gossip, etc., but definitely out there among the elected
officials and insiders. Confirmation, quashing, discussion all welcome.
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10
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