Democrats from south Minneapolis will gather Saturday to determine who, if anyone, the party should endorse for an open City Council seat in the fall election.

The 12th Ward DFL Party convention will convene at Roosevelt High School with four candidates vying for the endorsement to succeed Council Member Andrew Johnson, who is not seeking re-election.

Johnson, who was first elected in 2013, has served as a swing vote between the council's most progressive members and its more moderate ones.

City elections are nonpartisan, and conventions frequently adjourn with no endorsements. But in Minneapolis, a DFL-dominated city, the party's endorsement can have a great deal of weight with voters.

The convention will begin at 10 a.m., with registration opening at 9 a.m. Those seeking the party endorsement in the 12th Ward, which has portions of the city's Longfellow, Nokomis and Powderhorn neighborhoods, include:

Aurin Chowdhury, a policy aide for the city who has been endorsed by state elected officials and the Twin Cities chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America;
Jerome Evans, a communications strategist who serves on the city's Public Health Advisory Committee;
Nancy Ford, who owns and operates the Repair Lair, which specializes in repairing outdoor gear;
Luther Ranheim, who works in the nonprofit sector.

Other Minneapolis DFL ward conventions will be held this weekend:

The Third Ward convention will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Las Estrellas Dual Language School. Incumbent Michael Rainville and party activist Conrad Zbikowski are seeking the endorsement.
The Ninth Ward will hold a virtual convention at 10 a.m. Sunday. Incumbent Jason Chavez has been unopposed in seeking the endorsement.
The Second Ward will hold a virtual convention at noon Sunday. No one has mounted a challenge to incumbent Robin Wonsley, though Wonsley isn't seeking the DFL endorsement.

about the writer

Dave Orrick

Minneapolis City Hall reporter

Dave Orrick covers Minneapolis city government for the Minnesota Star Tribune.