Betsy Hodges' mayoral campaign manager, organizing director resign

Mayor Betsy Hodges has lost her campaign manager and organizing director a week after the Minneapolis caucuses.

In a statement, the mayor said campaign manager Jorge Contreras was "ready to take on new challenges in his life," and declined to answer further questions.

Contreras and Kyrstin Schuette, the organizing director, both said they resigned.

"We resigned, and it was our choice to do that," Contreras said.

Schuette agreed. "It was our decision at the core to leave together," she said.

Contreras was hired at the beginning of the year to run Hodges' campaign in a race that now includes eight challengers, including Nekima Levy-Pounds, Raymond Dehn, Tom Hoch and Jacob Frey.

Contreras and Schuette came to Hodges with a reputation for aggressive outreach to voters, having been the field and training directors for Angie Craig in her campaign for the Second Congressional District. Contreras also organized for Sen. Al Franken's successful 2014 re-election and has worked on 10 election campaigns dating back to President Obama's in 2008.

"He's a talented manager and political strategist, and a great human being of whom I am very fond," Hodges said in the statement issued Friday.

She said she intends to help him take on new challenges, and her campaign will add a manager "to lead the strong team that we already have in place."

Hodges did not mention Schuette in her statement and her campaign did not respond to questions about her. Schuette said she has no hard feelings.

"At the end of the day it boiled down to a difference in values, and that's kind of all I have to say," Schuette said.

Contreras said Friday he agreed with Schuette.

Adam Belz • 612-673-4405 Twitter: @adambelz