urbanMSP

I doubt if Thao would have run if Stark were going to get in. Maybe Tolbert, but he'd be fighting his own predecessor (Harris), which is probably harder for him than Thao/Carter, where Carter left office after only a couple years.

I believe Stark ruled it out.

Dai has a lot of support from people I know. He was an organizer and people know who he is. I'm sure Carter also has a lot of support but I'm not hearing his name in the circles I run in as I am Thao's. I remember people being pretty disappointed in Carter's lack of visibility during the Stops for Us campaign.

It will be a fun race to watch for sure. I'm going to support Dai. I've had enough conversations with him to know he's clear on what he wants and knows how to build the relationships to get it.

Saint Paul's first mayoral candidate forum will take place in a bar that is 20 feet wide:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1799352077055171/

Save our St. Paul Neighborhoods is hosting a mayoral forum at Macalester College on March 27.

https://www.facebook.com/events/203167306827728/

Uh isn't it sort of ridiculous to let an extremist fringe group host a mayoral forum?

I don't know, isn't Streets.mn looking at hosting one too?

Oh, yes, because comparing more transit usage, more housing for people at affordable prices and safer streets is so extreme. Compared to a group that wants to stop pretty much all future development and keep everything like it's the 70s.

Just because I agree with those things doesn't make us any less of an extreme, relative current city politics.

Anyway, I don't think it's good policy for people seeking elected office to refuse to engage with people because they don't respect their opinions. Even if the SSPN people are only 5% of Saint Paul residents--probably a low estimate, tbh--that's still ~15k people.

And I bet all the Bob Gundersons in St. Paul are much more likely to be voters or caucus-goers.

I'm going to the forum. what pro-development/transit questions should i ask?

Another candidate forum on 3/29, hosted by the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation: https://www.facebook.com/events/1074988919272303/

You could try something like "how would you be willing to (and try to) reform the zoning code to allow new housing development?"

And
"Should St Paul take a more proactive approach to ensuring its residents, particularly those who can't drive due to age and/or disability, have adequate access to non-automotive forms of transportation like transit, bicycling, and walking? If so, how"

Couple more mayoral forums:
- STP DFL Forum, 3/25 11am at Dayton's Bluff Rec Center
- Saint Paul STRONG Forum, 4/26 (happy birthday to me) 7-9 at SPNN

This will probably become more clear after a couple forums, but looking in from across the river, Melvin Carter is the clear frontrunner, right? Solid early cash lead, been running for like a year already, etc. He would seem to have an edge on getting the DFL nomination, at which point Dai Thao probably drops out.

For what it's worth, Dai Thao is running hard. And Pat Harris is going to do well among the kind of voters who are vastly overrepresented in Saint Paul DFL caucuses. I think a non-endorsement is at least plausible at this point.

Apparently Tolbert and Prince were at Harris's kickoff event.

Russ Stark endorsed Carter today. I hear Brendmoen is on that train as well, though she hasn't announced, and I suspect Noecker will follow their lead.

I find this development to be really quite surprising and important. Brendmoen and Stark have worked with both candidates as council members and will have to continue working with Dai Thao whether he wins or loses.

Wards 1 and 5 had their conventions yesterday. Totals so far:
Carter 42
Thao 21
Harris 17
Goldstein 3
Marny Xiong (school board) 13
Broderick (school board) 2
Uncommitted 23 (hi!)

Carter has a strong notional lead, but I would expect most of Marny's delegates will also vote for Thao (many at W5 were wearing Thao buttons, and Marny is a supporter herself) which brings him a lot closer. 1 + 5 should probably be Carter's best wards, though he'll also do well in 4. I'd expect Thao to gain on the spread in Wards 6 and 7, though don't write Carter off there. Ward 3 is obviously going to be Harris (and Goldstein) territory. We'll know Ward 2 later today. Uncommitted could go any which way, but I heard some resistance to Carter in W5 so who knows.

With Harris and Thao both aiming for no endorsement, I don't think that Carter will have the numbers to clinch it in June.

Ward 2 counts according to Fred Melo. Good day for Carter and Harris:
Carter 29
Thao 14
Harris 22
Brodrick 2
Goldstein 2
Uncommitted 14

That makes overall:
Carter 71
Thao 35
Harris 39
Goldstein 5
Brodrick (SB) 2
Xiong (SB) 13
Uncommitted 37