All five candidates in the race for Minneapolis City Council Ward 11—incumbent Jeremy Schroeder (D), Dillon Gherna (D), Emily Koski (D), Albert T. Ross (D), and Kurt Michael Anderson (I)—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. This survey allows candidates to speak directly to Ballotpedia readers, describing who they are, why they are running, and what they would prioritize if elected.
On Oct. 13, Axios Twin Cities’ Nick Halter wrote that “The City Council has been moving to the left for several years now,” adding, “If you want to know which way the Minneapolis City council is headed, keep an eye on Ward 11.”
Public safety and policing have been key issues in this race and others across Minneapolis. In addition to elected officials, voters in Minneapolis will also decide several local ballot measures, including Question 2, a charter amendment that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) with a Department of Public Safety (DPS). Last August, Schroeder voted in favor of placing Question 2 on the November ballot.
Minneapolis was one of six cities included in Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Expansion Project, which allowed local voters to submit questions about pressing issues they wanted their elected officials to address. One of those community questions related directly to Question 2 and candidates’ stances on the measure.
Below are excerpts from each candidates’ surveys in response to this question. Click on candidates’ names to view their full survey responses:
What role do you feel police should play in Minneapolis? What are your thoughts on the city council’s proposed changes to the Minneapolis Police Department?
Schroeder: “Armed police officers cannot solve every public safety issue in the city, and we need to unburden police officers currently faced with the unfair challenge of responding to every kind of crisis.”
Gherna: “The police should maintain their role in the public safety eco-system … I do not believe defunding or abolishing the police will accomplish this.”
Koski: “I do not support the Public Safety Charter Amendment proposed by Yes 4 Minneapolis.”
Ross did not respond to this community question directly, but elsewhere in his survey wrote: “I promise I want to defund or dismantle our Minneapolis Police Department.”
Anderson: “I strongly oppose Charter Amendment 2 … It is the wolf of police defunding dressed in the sheepskin of public safety.”
According to the most recent campaign finance data, Koski led the field with $53,477 on hand followed by Schroeder with $19,549, as of July 27, 2021.
All 13 city council wards are up for election this November. In addition to Ward 11, incumbents are seeking re-election in all but two of the races with a total of 58 candidates running overall. Of those 58 candidates, 20 have completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey.
Seattle holds city elections on Nov. 2 for mayor, two at-large city council seats, and other local offices. Recent polling, campaign finance data, and satellite spending provide insight into these races just over one week out.
Polls
City Council President Lorena González and former City Council President Bruce Harrell face each other in the mayoral election. A recent Change Research poll showed Harrell with 48% support to González’s 32%, and 18% of respondents were undecided. The margin of error was 4.1%.
In the Change Research poll for city council position 9—the seat González currently holds—Sara Nelson received 41% support to Nikkita Oliver’s 37%. Twenty-one percent were undecided.
The council position 8 poll showed Mosqueda with 39%, Wilson with 31%, and “Not sure” with 26%.
Campaign finance
In the mayoral race, Harrell has raised $1.2 million, and González has raised $900,000. My Northwest reported that the combined $2.1 million is the highest amount raised by two general election candidates of any mayoral contest since at least 2005. The second-highest was in 2017, when Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon raised $1.6 million combined.
For position 9 on the council, Nelson has raised $510,000 to Oliver’s $400,000. Mosqueda has raised $255,000 and Wilson, $80,000, in the position 8 race.
Satellite spending
The two highest-spending groups in the mayoral race are Bruce Harrell for Seattle’s Future, which has spent around $1 million supporting Harrell and opposing González, and Essential Workers for Lorena, which has spent around $900,000 supporting González and opposing Harrell.
The National Association of Realtors has spent around $100,000 and the Seattle Fire Fighters PAC has spent around $50,000 supporting Harrell.
Those two groups have also spent in the position 9 council race—a combined $130,000 supporting Nelson. Civic Alliance for a Prosperous Economy has spent almost $50,000 supporting Oliver. This group was active in the 2019 council elections—see our coverage, linked below, for more details on that activity.
Satellite spending in the position 8 council race has not reached $1,000.
Port Angeles, in Clallam County, Wash., is holding municipal elections on Nov. 2, 2021. Four city council seats are up for election this year. In total, the Port Angeles City Council is composed of seven members who serve four-year terms.
Candidates submitted statements to the Washington Secretary of State when they filed a declaration of candidacy. Responses, which appear in the Washington Voter’s Pamphlet are republished here. They have not been altered in any way.
Port Angeles City Council Position No. 1
LaTrisha Suggs (incumbent): “I have lived in Port Angeles most of my life. I am from here. My mom, grandmother, great grandmother, and ancestors have lived here since time immemorial. I seek your support to continue serving this great community. I have three fabulous kids and two grandsons.
As a council member I supported expanding key programs like Rediscovery, Paramedicine, reinstated code enforcement, maintained flat utility rates, balanced budget, provided $790,000 in rental, mortgage and utility assistance to customers impacted financially by the pandemic. I supported efforts, saving the city millions by refinancing water and wastewater bonds, supported suspending interest and late fees on utility accounts, and waived parking and business improvement area fees.The next four years will require focus and stability to maintain a healthy City budget, support solutions to vexing issues and engaging leadership that strengthens our community partnerships, and work towards building new relationships. Areas of critical importance include affordable housing, homelessness, code updates, commercial district enhancement, build staffing capacity, building high-performing relationships, and working with partners to advocate for solutions that will help the childcare crisis, which was in crisis mode prior to the pandemic. The vision is to move towards solutions that work for our community.”
Adam Garcia: “Port Angeles has been my home since 1992, when I started 3rd grade at Jefferson Elementary. I grew up here, played in the parks here, I went to school here, met my wonderful wife here, and have chosen to raise my children here. The truth is that Port Angeles has changed, and not for the better. Crime, poverty, and drug use have grown out of control.
The tasks laid before the City Council and Staff are not easy, but they must be met with a balance of fiscal responsibility and compassion for every member of our city. It is going to take time to make the big changes that are required for our city to prosper, but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore the problems in the present. We must come together and make common sense decisions that begin to address the issues at hand. We must insure that our community is safe, we need to work on our streets and infrastructure while remaining fiscally sound.
Let’s move Port Angeles in the right direction so that our children can experience the safe and beautiful Port Angeles we all remember.”
Mike French (incumbent): “Port Angeles has been my lifelong home, and I intend to work tirelessly to make it the best it can be. My vision is to provide a safe and healthy environment for all, including a robust economy, good roads, affordable housing and utilities, and a thriving business community. I’ve been an elected representative on the City Council for four years, and we’ve made considerable progress on these and other issues. We’ve engaged the Chamber of Commerce in our Capital Facility Plan and contracted with them to develop a collaborative strategic plan for our downtown. We’ve passed citywide zoning reforms and tax incentives to encourage affordable housing development. We’ve partnered with local institutions like Peninsula Housing Authority and the Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic to move our unhoused population into secure permanent housing. We’ve reduced the burden on local law enforcement by pairing social workers with police officers, finding productive solutions to difficult situations on the street.
There is still considerable work to do; our City continues to face a variety of challenges. I am committed to facing these challenges and devoting the time and effort required to serve the citizens of Port Angeles, and I ask for your vote. Thank you.”
John Madden: “People are frustrated with their Government. People are feeling forgotten. It is time to involve the public in their Government at a new level. I hope to invite open conversations with the Citizens of Port Angeles in a variety of settings, including a monthly meet and greet at a local coffee shop. I am passionate about addressing the day-to-day challenges that face Port Angeles small businesses struggling to make sense of the ever changing political landscape.
2020 was a confusing time in our County. Our awareness of the issues that divide us must be met with constructive and restorative energies. Small businesses have more similarities than differences, and there needs to be a constructive thread drawn around them to strengthen the fabric of our City.
As a former President of both a local Kiwanis Club and Lions Club, I have the experience in leadership, with community service as core.
I believe that leadership is found in service to others.
I hope you will come to my Coffee Corral, if not City Council meetings, and help me shape our Community one issue at a time.”
Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin (incumbent): “I was born and raised in Port Angeles. I love this place that we all call home.
I’m honored to serve the people of Port Angeles on City Council, where my skills and experience support the the Council’s core work: policy and planning to keep Port Angeles affordable for young people, working families, and elders, and improve everyone’s quality of life.
Over the last four years on City Council, we’ve revived the code enforcement program that previous Councils cut; supported our Police and Fire Departments’ proactive and cost saving intervention programs; removed regulatory barriers to affordable housing and childcare development; kept utility rates stable; and supported small businesses and distressed residents during the pandemic.
As a representative of the people of Port Angeles, I work toward creating a City that values government transparency, community dialogue, and collaboration; spends our tax dollars efficiently; fosters a local economy that works for everyone; and solves tough problems like substance abuse, affordable housing, and homelessness. This work requires all of us working together to make Port Angeles a safe place for everyone to live, work, and play.
I’d be honored to receive your vote to continue this work on your City Council. Thank you.”
To read Schromen-Wawrin’s full statement, click here.
Jena Stamper: “I am a native of Port Angeles and, having attended K- 12 schools here, I know what Port Angeles used to be and I know the untapped potential that is has. I have the vision and passion to help it return to its previous glory and beyond. A local business owner and active member of our community, I am acutely aware of the struggles and concerns that our community members are facing.
A thriving business community is essential to the long-term health of our city. Not only does the business community provide the economic foundation for our city, it supports local teams, youth programs, and many worthwhile community projects of great impact.
I want to be an advocate for our youth and invest in our parks and community events that help give our community members and youth purpose.
I want to a champion for safe streets for our citizens, support our law enforcement and help them find sustainable ways to deal with the ever-increasing homeless population, while also encouraging code and local ordinance enforcement.
I whole heartedly care about this city and want to be a true representative of the people of Port Angeles. Your vote matters.”
Kate Dexter (incumbent): “Serving on city council for these past four years has been a tremendous honor. We have accomplished a great deal as a city. There’s much yet to be achieved. I look forward to continuing this work thanks to your vote.
Under my leadership as mayor, I have worked tirelessly with my fellow council members and city staff to set appropriate and meaningful agendas, lead discussions effectively and professionally, and ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard, even during the Covid-19 pandemic and all the challenges it presented.
Notably, at the end of 2020, city council and staff succeeded in creating a balanced budget, with no increase in utility rates, and provided over $800,000 to residents and local businesses in mortgage, rent, and utility relief.
We listened to local developers and made changes to our city code to encourage market rate and affordable housing development. Thanks to strong community partnerships, we implemented and expanded the Rediscovery and Community Paramedicine programs, which are actively improving people’s lives while saving taxpayer dollars.
I’m ready to continue the progress we have made toward a more vibrant community. Thank you in advance for your vote and continued support.”
John W. Procter: “In the past eleven years that I have lived in Port Angeles, I have witnessed a decrease in police presence, deterioration of our park and recreation services, and an influx of individuals living on our streets.
Many of theses individuals are openly drunk or using drugs. They throw their heroin syringes and garbage everywhere. They use our town as their public restroom. They graffiti our buildings and destroy business fronts. This affects our community standard and tourism.
Along with this we have also noticed the sudden appearance of old motorhomes, travel trailers, and automobiles. Many are randomly abandoned. Most are not currently licensed, and many are in disrepair but are parked on our streets for long periods of time. They are often outlets for drug dealing and harbor stolen goods from our community.
Our current City Council appears to use those individuals as political pawns assisting them to continue to desecrate our community. My intention is to restore our community to a healthier standard. I would like to represent the families and businesses who prefer a cleaner and safer Port Angeles.”
Clallam County is holding municipal elections in its three cities—Port Angeles, Sequim, and Forks— in 2021. Twenty-six offices are up for election in those cities. Click here to read more about those elections.
Birmingham, Ala., held a general runoff election on Oct. 5. The runoff was necessary after no candidate earned a majority of the vote in several races during the general election on Aug. 24.
Candidates competed for two seats on the nine-seat city council. Challengers defeated incumbents in both districts. J.T. Moore won the District 4 seat against incumbent William Parker, earning 58.4% of the vote to Parker’s 41.6%. In District 9, LaTonya Tate received 51.6% of the vote to defeat incumbent John Hilliard, who received 48.4%.
Candidates also competed for two seats on the nine-seat Birmingham Board of Education. In District 9, Jason Meadows earned 72.1% of the vote, defeating Le’Darius Hilliard with 27.9%. The District 1 race remained too close to call, with only a few votes separating incumbent Douglas Ragland from challenger Sherman Collins Jr.
On Sept. 21, Port Angeles City Council Position #2 incumbent Mike French and challenger John Madden participated in an online candidate forum. The Port Angeles Business Association hosted the event.
French, who was elected to the city council in 2017, is the owner and operator of the First Street Haven Restaurant. Madden owns Ready Remodeling.
Over the span of an hour, the candidates discussed topics that included, among other things, the coronavirus pandemic, housing, the city budget, and the future of the city. What follows is a selection of the candidates’ responses.
Pandemic restrictions
Moderator: “Would each of you please articulate your thoughts on the current requirements in place [referring to a Clallam County and Jefferson County proof-of-vaccination requirement enacted by the North Olympic Peninsula health officer on Sept. 2]. What if anything would you change in them, and how long do you believe this pandemic would run if your particular policies were in place or you had the ability to set regulations.”
Mike French: “I support what the local health officer is doing, I think that she clearly has the authority to do this, and I think that, as a small business owner, it was definitely jarring to have that mandate come out with maybe, I think two days warning, you know, for all the policies at my restaurant. That was certainly jarring. She had signaled that this was something she was thinking about in the previous meeting. So, I certainly would have loved more notice if I had to do it over again.”
John Madden: “This is something that has to be done with support from the public and cannot be foisted on people, especially by dictatorial means. I’m very sensitive about breaches of the Constitution, and I would just like to see us return to a model that honors the integrity and individual choice of the human being. I see other countries dealing with this pandemic in a way that is a lot more effective, and they have reached herd immunity a long time ago, without shutdowns, masking, or forcing people to take an experimental vaccination.”
Housing
Moderator: “Affordable and available housing is an issue—it’s an issue not just for citizens to find a place but for us to attract very good professionals in here. With that said could each of you please articulate what you think is causing this problem and what is anything you could do as an individual council person or as a council together.”
Mike French: “I think in general this is a supply issue, and that’s why for the past four years, I’ve been really focused on what can government do to get out of the way so that markets can function, I think, more effectively. What we’ve tried to do is say, in our permitting processes, in our regulations, what is under our control and what is not under our control, because I think a lot people, there’s this impression that oh this is all the state, the state is doing all this. But that’s actually not true. What we found was that actually had a lot that was under our control. And so you know, two years ago, we did basically zoning reform citywide that was really targeted toward how can we make it more affordable for developers and people to remodel and add housing, both existing housing stock and new housing stock. I think what we did was we made a lot of parcels actually a lot more valuable for development in the city of Port Angeles by allowing them to be subdivided or allowing different rules on setback and all those kinds of things. And I think that was really successful and I think that’s in the long run going to be part of the solution . But of course then there’s advocacy work to be done on what the state rules are.”
John Madden: “This is where we need to have lower income housing available for people. What you’re running against here is a market dynamic where you’ve got AirBnBs and that type of offering, and in our situation right here now, we have a very limited stock of available rooms. People in their homes are inviting people from who knows where, whatever part of the world they’re from, to come and stay in one of their bedrooms for profit. A free market society does that and I don’t think it’s the purview of the city council to interfere with that. I believe more people will open up their homes to low-income housing and that’s going to take some guidance, because there are some considerations that need to be addressed in terms of health, community safety, and most of all contamination of our environment. We’re seeing this in places where the homeless are camping in different locations in town.”
City budget
Moderator: “How solid of ground do each of you think the Port Angeles budget is on? Where do you think our budget’s major concerns are especially as we extrapolate into the future?”
Mike French: “My focus for the budget is on how much capacity as a staff—our city staff—to respond to the issues that our citizens really expect us to respond to, not just in law enforcement and code enforcement, but in our building division. Are we delivering enough speed on building permit turnaround. That’s the question that this council is really focused on in our strategic plan is building staff capacity so that we can be responsive as a city to our citizens demands.”
John Madden: “I believe that a portion of our income in this city comes from tourism and we’ve had a problem with the ferry, so this is a fairly significant thing that needs to be addressed. There are certain elements outside of our control with these shutdowns all this type of behavior, but in the long run I believe the budget is not going to be as much of an issue because you’re going to have a resurgence of businesses coming into this city. Right now you see a lot of businesses that have been closed down as a result of the pandemic. I don’t think there are too many other reasons why businesses have been shut down over the last 18 months. As a community we need to work toward getting back to what we called “normal” before, and I believe it’s possible.”
The future of Port Angeles
Moderator: “Tell us how you see Port Angeles in 10 years from now, and most importantly, what would you be doing as a council member to help get to the vision that you see Port Angeles 10 years in the future.”
Mike French: “I really see us growing into a sustainable tourism economy that also has industry as a major sector. And I think that’s something that our community has shown a lot of favor toward through a lot of these open houses that we have. I think that in downtown we can build up, we can get more dense, we can have people living downtown, I think we can transform downtown into a really pedestrian-friendly experience. When a visitor comes to Port Angeles and says what do I need to see, we send them away. We say go to Hurricane Ridge, go to Lake Crescent. What I want to say is, yeah, of course you want to do those things, those are amazing things that show the natural beauty of our area. You also have to visit downtown. That needs to be the third thing on our list of unforgettable Port Angeles experiences and we need to bring our downtown product up to the level where it’s competitive with someone visiting Hurricane Ridge or going out and visiting Lake Crescent.”
John Madden: “Now that we’ve gone through, it’s important to note that we’ve got a sports arena where the younger people can go and play racquet ball, pickle ball, possibly, we have a swimming place here, that’s wonderful. We have all kinds of activities that are healthy for people to engage in. I’m glad that we’ve returned to having exercise at the senior center. That’s extremely important for the health of our people. I know that with population growth, there will be density issues that need to be addressed. I know that we have a new building downtown with mixed-use, which is a good way of dealing with housing and retail combined. It’s hard to see 10 years from now, but I’m optimistic. ”
To watch the full forum, click here. Click here to learn more about elections Clallam County in 2021.
Three candidates have filed to run in the Sep. 14 special election for District 6 on the Toledo City Council in Ohio. The filing deadline for the special election was Aug. 5.
Incumbent Theresa Morris, Kimberly Adkins, and James Nowak are running in the special election. Morris was appointed to the seat on April 20 to replace Chris Delaney. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Delaney’s term, which runs through 2023. The special election is nonpartisan, but Morris has been endorsed by the Lucas County Democratic Party. According to the Toledo Blade, Adkins and Nowak are Republicans.
Ballotpedia will also be covering the Toledo mayoral race and the six at-large city council seats that are on the ballot in 2021. The primary for those races will be held on Sep. 14, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 2.
Toledo is the fourth-largest city in Ohio and the 66th-largest city in the U.S. by population. It had an estimated population of 272,779 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2021, Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 21 counties and 68 cities, including 40 mayoral elections.
The primary for the Topeka mayor and District 3 council seat in Kansas was held on Aug. 3. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled for Nov. 2. The filing deadline to run passed on June 1.
Five candidates competed in the mayoral race. Mike Padilla and Leo Cangiani both advanced to the general election. Padilla received 3,990 votes, and Cangiani received 1,803. Daniel Brown, John Lauer, and Patrick Klick received less than 1,000 votes each and will not move on to the general election. The current mayor of Topeka, Michelle De La Isla, announced she would not be running for another term in March 2021.
Sylvia Ortiz and Regina Platt advanced from the primary for the District 3 council seat, defeating William Hendrix, David Johnson, and Lana Kombacher. The primaries for Districts 1, 5, 7, and 9 on the city council were canceled, but they will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Voters in Wichita, Kan., held a nonpartisan primary election on Aug. 3 for two seats on the city council. The general election will be held on Nov. 2.
Of the three city council seats on the ballot in 2021, only two required a primary election. In the race that did not require a primary election, District 1 incumbent Brandon Johnson and Myron Ackerman will face off in the general election. Johnson was elected to the city council in 2017.
In the District 3 race, incumbent Jared Cerullo and Mike Hoheisel advanced past the primary by defeating Jason Carmichael, Jerome Crawford, Ian Demory, Cindy Miles, and Tevin Smith. According to unofficial results, Cerullo and Hoheisel received 29% and 27% of the vote, respectively. Cerullo was appointed to the city council in March 2021 to replace James Clendenin. Clendenin resigned on Dec. 31, 2020, after being censured for his role in an attempt to falsely accuse Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple (D) of sexual harassment.
In the District 6 primary, incumbent Cindy Claycomb and Maggie Ballard defeated Martin Garcia, Loren John Hermreck, Dereck Reynolds, and Andy Speck. Claycomb received 41% of the vote, and Ballard received 44%. Claycomb was elected to the city council in 2017.
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and the 49th-largest city in the U.S. by population. It had an estimated population of 389,938 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2021, Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 22 counties and 68 cities, including 40 mayoral elections.
The city of Wichita, Kan., is holding a nonpartisan primary election on Aug. 3 for two seats on the city council. The top two candidates will advance to the general election on Nov. 2.
In the District 3 race, incumbent Jared Cerullo is facing opposition from six candidates. Jason Carmichael, Jerome Crawford, Ian Demory, Mike Hoheisel, Cindy Miles, and Tevin Smith are running against Cerullo in the primary election. Cerullo was appointed to the city council in March 2021 to replace James Clendenin. Clendenin resigned on Dec. 31, 2020, after being censured for his role in an attempt to falsely accuse Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple (D) of sexual harassment.
In the District 6 race, incumbent Cindy Claycomb will face off against Maggie Ballard, Martin Garcia, Loren John Hermreck, Dereck Reynolds, and Andy Speck in the primary election. Claycomb was elected to the city council in 2017.
The District 1 seat on the city council will also be on the ballot in 2021, but the race does not require a primary election. Incumbent Brandon Johnson and Myron Ackerman will face off in the general election. Johnson was elected to the city council in 2017.
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and the 49th-largest city in the U.S. by population. It had an estimated population of 389,938 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2021, Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 22 counties and 68 cities, including 40 mayoral elections.
Seattle voters have just over one week to cast their ballots in the Aug. 3 top-two primaries. A poll released July 16 showed a plurality of voters unsure who they’d choose for mayor and the two at-large city council seats. The Northwest Progressive Institute poll, conducted by Change Research, showed 32% undecided for the mayoral race, 50% undecided for the position 9 council seat, and 55% undecided for the position 8 seat. The poll’s margin of error was +/- 4.3 percentage points.
In the mayoral primary, 20% of respondents said they supported former council president Bruce Harrell, 12% said they supported current council president Lorena González, and 10% backed Chief Seattle Club executive director Colleen Echohawk. The 12 other candidates running received less than 10% support among poll respondents.
For the position 9 council seat, attorney and Creative Justice executive director Nikkita Oliver received 26% support, Fremont Brewing co-owner Sara Nelson received 11%, and González’s chief of staff Brianna Thomas received 6%, with the four other candidates polling at 3% or less.
For the position 8 council seat, incumbent Teresa Mosqueda polled at 26%, with Kate Martin at 6%, nine other candidates below that percentage, and 55% unsure.
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission reported more than $600,000 in satellite spending toward the mayoral race as of July 21:
Essential Workers for Lorena had spent $430,000 supporting González;
Bruce Harrell for Seattle’s Future had spent $120,000 supporting Harrell; and
Seattle United for Progressive Change had spent $70,000 supporting Farrell.
The Progressive Equity PAC had spent $21,000 supporting Thomas in the position 9 council election.
Total satellite spending for the 2017 election cycle—the last time the city held elections for the two at-large council seats and for mayor—was around $1.3 million. In 2019, when the seven district council seats were up for election, satellite spending topped $4 million.
