Audio: Ward 1 City Council Candidates Forum

[Dan Haugen]

The Minneapolis League of Women Voters hosted a forum Tuesday at the Northeast Library for City Council candidates in Ward 1. Four of the five candidates who will be on next Tuesday's ballot participated in the discussion. They were, in alphabetical order:

Thomas Alessi, Ron Paul Conservative
Mark Fox, Equity Advocacy Responsibility
Susan Howitz Hanna, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Kevin Reich, Democratic-Farmer-Labor (Endorsed)

Independent candidate Larry Ranallo was not present.

Update 1:45 p.m.: I spoke with Larry Ranallo this afternoon, who explained that he missed Tuesday evening's forum due to a family emergency. The candidate was knocking on doors yesterday afternoon when he received a call from his brother telling him that their mother was ill. She was in the hospital today and the family was waiting for an update on her condition.

[M. J. Mariani]

To T Izzo: What do you mean: "sounds like very valid reasons not to vote for Ranallo or Reich" ????

[T Izzo]

sounds like very valid reasons not to vote for Ranallo or Reich

Koski -- please don't vote for someone simply because they have a 'DFL' by their name; from your tone you sound like someone that doesn't research candidates and simply votes for the endorsed. I just think people shouldn't be mindless robots, I'm not endorsing anybody, but think people should think past party affiliation for a change

[Ed Antolak]

I believe Sue Howitz-Hanna made it clear that she wasn't the DFL endorsed candidate. That clarification came as she announced the Strib's endorsing her for 1st Ward (I don't intend to be endorsing anybody in this post).

Light-hearted highlight of the evening was a forum attendee's question to the panel: "Where's Larry?".

[Mandy Tempel]

"After the forum, the missing Ranallo could be found at the bar he owns, Moose’s on Monroe. There, he told MnIndy that despite missing the event, he remained “avid” about his campaign."

Ranallo showed off a new piece of literature ready for mailing that highlighted his recent endorsement by the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. It shows a gloved hand reaching through broken glass to turn a door handle and asks, “What if you called 911 and nobody showed up?” above bullet points about proposed cuts in the ranks of cops and firefighters.

Effective — and a little ironic, considering the League of Women Voters called a candidate forum and he didn’t show up. He did have an excuse: a personal obligation intervened, he told the Minnesota Independent. (Dan Haugen, who has audio of the event, reports that Ranallo’s mother was hospitalized.)"

source: Minnesota Independent

[Dan Haugen]

Thanks for the clarification, Adelheid.

[Adelheid Koski]

Just to clarify, Kevin Reich is the ONLY candidate who has the DFL endorsement, which he earned in April. While Susan Howitz Hanna sought the endorsement, she was very clear that she would not abide by the group's decision. Larry Ranallo, while he filed for candidacy as an Independent, now seems to be claiming the DFL name in both literature and on some of his newer signs.