A near-record number of candidates filed to run for office in Minneapolis this year, signaling high interest in races that are drawing national attention amid questions on policing, political power and housing affordability.
Near-record number of candidates file to run in Minneapolis
The races are drawing attention as the city grapples with questions on policing, housing affordability.
August 10, 2021 at 11:13PM
A total of 102 people filed to run for office by the deadline on Tuesday, including 29 who submitted their paperwork the last two days of the filing period.
The municipal races — the first since George Floyd's murder by a police officer — are drawing national money as Minneapolis voters prepare to choose their next class of leaders and to determine the future of the city's Police Department.
On the ballot are the mayor's office, all 13 City Council seats, and places on the Board of Estimate & Taxation and Park & Recreation Board.
This year's races drew the second-highest number of candidates since at least 1989. The record in that time period was set in 2013, when 35 people ran for mayor, bringing the total field of candidates across all races to 108.
In the races for mayor and City Council, the only ones where candidates can list a party affiliation or principle, most of the candidates described themselves as members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Some listed themselves as Green Party candidates, socialists or Republicans, a mix that elections observers said was roughly on par with other years.
Below is a list of candidates running this year. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and incumbents are marked with an asterisk.
Mayor: Nate Atkins, Libertarian Party; AJ Awed, DFL; Troy Benjegerdes, Farmer-Labor; Bob Carney Jr., Republican; Clint Conner, DFL; Christopher W. David, DFL; Jacob Frey*, DFL; Mark Globus, DFL; Marcus Harcus, Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis; Paul Johnson, Humanitarian-Community Party; Kate Knuth, DFL; Doug Nelson, Socialist Workers Party; Sheila Nezhad, DFL; Jerrell Perry, For The People; Laverne Turner, Republican; Kevin Ward, Independent; Mike Winter, Independence-Alliance
City Council Ward 1: Calvin Carpenter, Veteran's Party; Elliott Payne, DFL; Kevin Reich*, DFL, Thomas E Wortman, DFL
City Council Ward 2: Yusra Arab, DFL; Tom Anderson, DFL; Guy T. Gaskin, Republican; Cam Gordon*, Green Party; Robin Wonsley Worlobah, Democratic Socialist
City Council Ward 3: Steve Fletcher*, DFL; Hope Hennessey, Independent; Merv Moorhead, DFL; Michael Rainville, DFL
City Council Ward 4: Phillipe Cunningham*, DFL; Leslie Davis, Earth Protector President; LaTrisha Vetaw, DFL
City Council Ward 5: Jeremiah Ellison*, DFL; Suleiman Isse, DFL; Victor Martinez, DFL; Elijah Norris-Holliday, Independent; Kristel Porter, DFL; James "Jim" Seymour, Witness; Cathy Spann, DFL
City Council Ward 6: A. Bihi, DFL; Jamal Osman*, DFL
City Council Ward 7: Joanna Diaz, DFL; Nick Kor, DFL; Lisa Goodman*, DFL; Teqen Zéa-Aida, DFL
City Council Ward 8: Andrea Jenkins*, DFL; Robert "Bob" Sullentrop, Republican
City Council Ward 9: Jason Chavez, DFL; Jon Randall Denison, Social Justice; Alfred "AJ" Flowers Jr., DFL; Yussuf Haji, DFL; Carmen Means, DFL; Mickey Moore, DFL; Brenda Short, no party listed; Ross Tenneson, Republican
City Council Ward 10: Aisha Chughtai, DFL; Alicia Gibson, DFL; Katie Jones, DFL; Ubah Nur, DFL; Chris Parsons, DFL; David Wheeler, DFL
City Council Ward 11: Kurt Michael Anderson, Independent; Dillon Gherna, DFL; Emily Koski, DFL; Albert T. Ross, DFL; Jeremy Schroeder*, DFL
City Council Ward 12: Nancy Ford, no party listed; Andrew Johnson*, DFL; David Rosenfeld, Socialist Workers Party
City Council Ward 13: Kati Medford, Green Party; Mike Norton, DFL; Linea Palmisano*, DFL; Bob Reuer, independent; Ken Salway, Republican
Board of Estimate and Taxation (2 Seats): Steve Brandt, Kevin Nikiforakis, Samantha "Sam" Pree-Stinson, Pine Salica. Candidates do not list a party affiliation.
Park & Recreation Board, At Large (3 Seats): Meg Forney*, Londel French*, Katherine Kelly, Mary McKelvey, Tom Olsen, Charles Rucker, Alicia D. Smith.
Park Board District 1: Billy Menz
Park Board District 2: Eric Moran, Mike Shelton, Becka Thompson
Park Board District 3: Becky Alper, AK Hassan*, Mohamoud Hassan
Park Board District 4: Jono Cowgill*, Elizabeth Shaffer
Park Board District 5: Justin Cermak, Steffanie Musich*, Charles Rodgers
Park Board District 6: Cathy Abene, Bob Fine, Risa Hustad, Barb Schlaefer
Candidates do not list a party affiliation.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
