After 9 months of running for office I can finally rest with the knowledge that I will not be elected.  I had been wondering all this time if I would be…  Being a serious candidate consumed a large segment of my mind and heart!  However, I was well prepared for either outcome, being elected or not, so despite my disappointment(s) I am also very relieved that the race is over! 

Although I didn’t get elected, I don’t feel that I lost anything.  All of the time and energy I invested in the campaign was well spent because I met thousands of people and most of them were good or great souls; my faith in humanity has been preserved and enhanced as most of the people I met were open, supportive, encouraging, including the majority of people who had no time to talk - y’all energized (sustained) me; I became more familiar with the Northside - walking up and down hundreds of blocks and knocking on tens of thousands of doors will do that for you and result in weight loss (15+ lbs since late April); this is my hometown and I love this place even more now; I learned so much from the incredible amount of insight, advice and feedback I received in conversations with hundreds of people and from doing so many campaign tasks and activities - too many details to enumerate here.  It was a great experience and some local university should give me about 60 credits for all I’ve learned this year!  

I was terribly disappointed in the low voter turnout, a mere 3,297 in Ward 4.  If everyone who told me or my volunteers that they’d vote for me would have actually gone to the polls the results would be much different, but I failed to coordinate phone banking - a fatal flaw on my overwhelmed part.  The voter turnout was dismal citywide as well.  While I’m sure the cold, rainy, windy weather was a contributing factor, this is Minnesota and the weather gets much worse over the course of the next several months so that’s a lame excuse if anyone tries to use it!  Approximately 13,350 4th Ward residents voted one year ago in the presidential election of Barack Obama, including 5,000+ first time voters in our ward!  It’s a shame that such a low percentage of these people are aware of or knew but simply didn’t care about Minneapolis elections.  When will people realize that local politics matter most?  People have all kinds of complaints about property taxes, potholes, police, community economic development, local infrastructure, etc. yet the vast majority of people are almost completely disengaged, disconnected from the politicians and the public policy processes wherein all of these relevant local decisions are made for our city and neighborhoods…

Being the best candidate doesn’t ensure that one will be elected.  Obviously I lacked organizational capacity to mount a truly viable campaign because I was not only the candidate, but also the campaign manager, treasurer, volunteer coordinator, communications director, etc.  Simply put, I did not have enough people helping me, didn’t have enough money, and did not have enough time to campaign victoriously.  There were many moments I felt overwhelmed, exhausted and wanting to quit running.  I made many mistakes and even got slightly negative towards the incumbent’s campaign in the final days, which is disappointing.  Overall I feel that I did some outstanding things and I deserved to be elected, but it’s hard to unseat a deeply entrenched incumbent who spent $108,000 while I raised much less than $7,000.

While I lament that lack of support (there were literally hundreds of people I’ve met and known over the years that I believed would support me who did absolutely nothing to contribute - I excuse those of you who were simply too busy and/or broke and stressed out with personal life and family demands, but I don’t know about the rest of y’all… that’s just real talk, but no I’m not bitter at all), I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge that I did have a couple dozen volunteers who hit the streets with me at one point or another, and several people joined me more than once, even in cold, rainy weather, and I had dozens of donors and encouragement from all over the twin cities, from the deep south, from both east and west coasts, from my family and neighbors, from my ancestors and the Creator!  Although I often felt alone I was dependent on the consistent encouragement I received from countless people during the campaign, from start to finish.  Thank you to each and everyone who did actively support me!  I overstand that most of you are extremely busy so I am forever grateful for any and all contributions!  Makes me think of the Ben E. King classic, Stand By Me:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyByGz09nM0 

Although I won’t disclose much personal info, my life circumstances were not conducive to running for office.  My wife is in grad school, my daughter is in Kindergarten, and I’ve been hit hard at home by the recession which means financial pressures have caused considerable stress and prevented me from being able to supplement my very low campaign budget with self-financing.  Having to work, even being underemployed, and fully involved with my family was especially challenging because I was doing way too much.  I appreciate that my wife supported my campaign, even though she didn’t care for the sacrifices we had to make so I could run most of the year! 

If I could self-finance a campaign I would, but it makes me wonder if there should be public financing available for demonstrably serious yet underfunded candidates for local office.  Our electoral system is generally more like an oligarchy than a democracy.  If I could hire staff I would.  Nobody with campaign management experience will volunteer to manage an electoral campaign for free and nobody with the desire and ability has enough time to spare.  For any readers considering a run for office, heed this warning: Candidates should NOT be their own campaign managers!!!  

Why did I run knowing I lacked organizational capacity, and why was I running knowing that I’m living in relative poverty?  I ran in spite of all the odds because I believed the campaign messages were worth delivering and because I’m a dreamer, a possibility oriented thinker.  Yes, although I am fully realistic I’m also quite idealistic…  Most visionary people who are discontent with the way the world is do tend to imagine a better world and work to change it.  I pity people without imagination.  To not be idealistic means to be complacent.

Listen to my song of the year, Soldier by Erykah Badu: *  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsEVAYVX6Wc&feature=related 
* Note: the line “If you thinkin’ ’bout turnin’ back, I got the shotgun on your back” is a reference to the great Underground Railroad leader Harriet Tubman’s policy of discouraging runaway slaves from giving up on their escape from slavery and jeopardizing everyone else’s escape, with the threat of her shotgun. 

I became a better man through this process of presenting myself to thousands of people in a relatively short period of time - 9 months.  I never tried to be fake, but always sincere, humble with my bold confidence, purposeful, respectful, kind, honest, inquiring and servant like.  It brings tears to my eyes now.  The song playing in the background is provocative though…  
LISTEN:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFGevMSQvUA&feature=PlayList&p=87DC1ECAB167D06D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=25

I got to relax thoroughly this past weekend!  I hadn’t relaxed any weekends this summer!  My wife and daughter were happy that I didn’t have to leave home to campaign.  I was helping my daughter learn to ride her bike today on the bike path besides Shingle Creek and the weather was wonderful!  I met a voter on the way who I had recently met at his home.  I explained the RCV counting process and that Troy Parker, this man’s neighbor and 1st choice (I was his 2nd choice), may still possibily unseat the incumbent with the redistributed 2nd and 3rd choice votes from the 1st choice supporters of Grant Cermak and I. 

Here are the first round vote totals:  http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20091103/ElecRslts.asp?CtyCd=27&M=MCD&Races=COUNCIL%20MEMBER%20WARD-W-04%20-%201st%20CHOICE%20%28CITY%20OF%20Minneapolis-135%29&CtyNm=%3A43000&ZoneName=43000%20-%20City%20of%20Minneapolis&DID=43000%20&mcdOffDist=1029 

OK, it is becoming the most frequently asked question (FAQ):

Will I run again?  I don’t know, but I am leaning heavily against it.  I literally wore myself out for a small number of votes and that was upsetting.  When I initially saw the unverified first round vote count I was thinking NO, but so many people are encouraging me to try again that I have been reconsidering.  Again, I did learn a lot so I’d have this foundational experience-based knowledge to build on.  They all say that my name is out there, most people will remember me because I am a strong candidate and I’ll allegedly get much more help next time (it’s all talk now) because people now understand how serious I am.  With much more time to plan and prepare for another campaign, it is possible that I’ll run again, but NOT without the organizational capacity to win - enough organized people, money and time.  Wanna help? 

For now I am moving on to another destination on my life’s journey…  ‘They’ tell me life is about the journey not the destinations…  More work, more school, more personal passionate living with a concentration on my family!  I say peace & blessings because I want that for your life!  

I appreciate your support and blog readership (smile).

Thx!

mh
612.600.0155
marcus@marcusharcus.org 

peace & blessings! 

www.marcusharcus.org

P.S.

Listen to my 2009 campaign anthem, Priority by Mos Def:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM-VLp1IPto&feature=PlayList&p=FCC850F94B10382E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

For Ranked Choice Voting info and Minneapolis vote count updates visit:  http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/elections/  

I’ll update the blog with a report on the final results when they come in.

Hi,

There was a 1,000 character limit per answer to each of the questions on the League of Women Voters Voter’s Guide candidate questionnaire.  It will be posted on their website - vote.lwvmn.org.  I struggled to limit my characters in answering this question, followed by my original answer:

What issues do you think the city will be facing in the next 4 years?

Many issues will always be major.

Poverty: this is perhaps the most critical issue facing people in Minneapolis and throughout the planet Earth because it significantly contributes to a wide variety of social challenges, including, but not limited to: lack opportunities, dependence on unlivable wage employment that prevents individuals and families from being able to afford the cost of living, hunger, substandard housing, homelessness, lack of health care, health disparities, ‘relative deprivation,’ depression, crime and violence.  The more people who are unable to afford to the cost of living, the more unstable our society becomes.  Ideologies aside, I want to live in a society that doesn’t tolerate masses of people - an underclass - living without their basic needs for survival, health and wellness met.  If this is the land of OPPORTUNITY then our society should be committed to fostering opportunities for the poor and disenfranchised, as well as the working and lower middle class masses.   

Housing: I’d love to contribute to the development of a comprehensive system that aggressively helps people keep their homes; increase homeownership (habitable vacancies occupied); protect equity; improve rental conditions; work to prevent homelessness and foster sustainable housing for the chronically homeless; and establish fair property taxation.

Academic achievement gap: Our city is in grave danger as long as the academic achievement gap, including high drop-out rates, persists in our schools.  This is a school board, not a city council issue, but it deeply affects most city residents, directly or indirectly.  Different strategies and methods need to be implemented to foster academic achievement and life success for the most vulnerable segments of our youth populations.  A Northside Achievement Zone, a collaborative initiative to replicate the successful Harmlem Children’s Zone model (www.hcz.org), is being planned for North Minneapolis and I highly support such a local movement.

Employment: In 2010, 2 of every 3 jobs will require a college degree.  Most of the 1/3rd of the jobs not requiring one will more than likely pay unlivable wages, because many of the degree required jobs are too!  Partnering with schools to strengthen the education system is important.  Effective and accessible job training programs are vitally important, therefore our city must partner with and invest in viable ones.  Retaining and attracting industrial manufacturing jobs would help, preferrably green and bio-technology employers.

Great living,

Election Day is a little more than 2 weeks away.  I’m still on fire, but ready to conclude the race.  Most of the people I’ve met on the campaign trail are supportive to the extent that I have a great chance of upsetting BJ.  Most of the people I’ve met are ready for her to be unseated.  I’m very optimistic about the outcome, win or lose, but I have a deep feeling that I will be elected.  I give thx!   

Without conceit, I confidently believe that I am the best candidate in the 4th Ward City Council race.  A Troy Parker supporter who attended the candidate debate this past Thursday October 15th, told me yesterday at her home, that I had performed better than all of the other 3 candidates.  She told me I was the only one presenting clear goals that resonate with everyone.  It was deep meeting this woman because when her daughter answered my knock at their door, I had arrived just as she intended to ask her mother about her opinion of me.  Before I left them, the mother, who had initially told me she wanted to remain loyal to Troy’s campaign, said she’d reconsider ranking me as her first choice.  Troy is afraid because I have been gaining many votes at homes with his yard sign posted and because people who grew up here want someone else who has grown up here to represent the community.  This is why he’s constantly telling people he’s lived over North for 15 years.  I’ve gained the support of many traditonal Barb supporters too.  It ain’t personal; it’s business. 

I consistently encourage people to make reasonable comparisons between the candidates instead of settling with the first candidate, or only candidate that they meet during the campaign season.  I consistently discourage people from supporting a candidate for superficial reasons, sacrificing responsible decision making on behalf of the community (intentionally or not, indirectly or not) for a supposed friendship.  I’ve knocked on THOUSANDS of doors and at least half of them were unanswered, so I want the 4th Ward to know that I’ve tried to meet nearly all of you, and not simply deliver door hangers.   

All of the people who have read the various press articles that have been published in recent weeks tell me that my ideas were most clear and compelling.  I humbly agree. 

I sat in church several weeks ago listening to a  brilliant sermon which referred to a biblical story… I recall the moral lesson admonishing against boasting about being the best.  It struck me.  We as candidates are supposed to present ourselves as the best choice for voters, the Minneapolis City Council and our communities…  It feels egotistically conflicting at times to have to publicly declare and explain - repeatedly - how I’m ‘better’ than my opponents, but this is a competition, so many voters ask us to tell them.  However, because electorates are so often willing to support candidates for the wrong reasons, the wrong candidates are elected to public office too often!  I’m at peace with declaring and explaining why I’m different and why I believe I’m the best candidate, because I lack confidence in my opponents ability to make a high enough rate of wise, informed and visionary public policy decisions for the community and/or be influential enough with their colleagues. 

I want the face, voice and vote representing the 4th Ward on the Minneapolis City Council to be an intellectual and an organizer who is from North Minneapolis, a young, energetic person who understands the complex issues that challenge Northside neighborhoods and cares enough to be equitable, engaging and effective in leveraging the power of community activism to organize and improve the Northside.  I have a comprehensive vision of a better North Minneapolis and I believe I can provide this kind of powerful, progressive leadership because I’m building widespread community support for Northside Change. 

At the last debate I challenged my opponents and the community members present to another debate, which would only be the 3rd one!  Both of my fellow challengers accepted the challenged, but the incumbent didn’t say a word, effectively declining.  When I asked the crowd if they believed we should have another debate dozens of people applauded, but there were dozens of BJ supporters who sat stuck in silence.  The 5th Ward has 7 scheduled from what I heard from two candidates in that race.  This Ward 4 debate was somewhat dull, less contentious than the first one, but it was momentarily exciting when I made the public challenge.  When Troy and Granted accepted and Barb sat silently and refusing to even turn her head towards me with a response, I told her she was “outnumbered.”  It’s unlikely that another debate will happen, but I’ve spoken with both TP & GC about collaborating on a GOTV rally before Election Day.  Grant is interested, but Troy says it depends on when.  If an event is feasible, I’ll invite BJ too, to be inclusive.  I’ll see what’s possible and get back to y’all, those of you readers out there in the blogosphere…  Such an event would be more about the community than any single candidate.

I felt like I was off at the debate, yet I still outperformed my opponents.  Strangers have confirmed it.  Sometimes I feel like we’re expected to fill the entire 90 seconds or 2 minutes of time alloted per candidate to answer each of the debate questions.  Some questions require more than that much time to be answered thoroughly, while others need only brief explanations.  I wish they were recorded so I could post it online and we could have them broadcasted on MTN to give more residents the opportunity to witness and listen to their candidate options.  It’s good to have these forums because all of the candidates are able to collectively raise many relevant issues and offer interesting ideas.  Presenting a variety of perspectives is important because all of the issues we need to address and deal with are as complex as all people are, and you know human beings are so complex that we’re largely dysfunctional, even those of us who mostly function healthy!  I’m just “keeping it real.”  (Can you believe VW trademarked that phrase?!)

I have consistently attempted to anonymously referrence people I’ve encountered while campaigning when I blog about them.  A woman at the debate on Thursday told me to “wait your turn,” implying that Barb deserves to keep her seat - it’s entitled to her, isn’t it? - and that I won’t get the position until Barb voluntarily retires.  She did inherit the seat, but it’s time for BJ to go. 

Although some aspects of campaigning are fun, most of the experience is not and I don’t know if I’ll ever run again, if I’m not elected this year.  My wife is supportive, but she doesn’t like me being a candidate.  Those of you out there who believe in my ability and destiny for this work, at this time in my life, please do what you can to get out the vote because I’ll make my wife like it if I am elected.  She can’t fathom the amount of support I’ve been gaining or the viability of an underfunded campaign, says most of my friends aren’t supportive enough.  Yes, I told her, sadly too many of my peers are apolitical, disaffected.  The re-election campaign would be well funded then and extraordinarily engaging and positively influential.  I don’t want to be a Councilmember for life, but I believe I’d do well for the Northside, for 2 or 3 terms.

At this point I’m encouraging everyone to rank all of the candidates you’d be comfortable electing, but don’t rank BJ at all.  Many people have told me they won’t.  Another BJ supporter I met yesterday, at his home, told me he was only ranking Barb.  An advertisement of hers seemed to subtlely encourage her voters to do just that.  She and her supporters know all of her challengers are targeting her as the main opponent.  I like the new Ranked Choice Voting system (RCV) and understand that it neither benefits nor harms me if my supporters rank another candidate 2nd or 3rd choice, so I encourage everyone to play this new instant runoff voting (IRV) game.  It’s definitely going to be interesting and it levels the playing field if most people make multiple candidate choices.  Moreover, I’m asking my opponent’s loyalists to rank me as their 2nd or 3rd choice if they won’t consider me #1, so why wouldn’t I encourage my voters to rank other candidates as their 2nd or 3rd?  The more people rank multiple candidates, excluding BJ, the more likely it is she will be unseated.  3 terms is enough!    

TP had a stack of foolish campaign letters at the debate.  One line read,”It may be easy to copy or echo my message, travel in my footsteps block to block, but it will be difficult to duplicate my years of commitment, dedication and relationships that has [HAVE] earned me the support of so many of our neighbors and friends.”  Is this cat serious?  It’s obvious he’s talking about me, but the it is an enormous falsehood to imply that I’m copying his message or following him.  We certainly have similar positions on many, if not most of the popular issues and we’re both campaigning for the same elected office, against each other, so we’re obviously reaching out to the same electorate…  He may have been dreaming about becoming a City Council person since he was in his early 20’s, but this guy is not the most articulate statesman, so I’m definitely NOT trying to copy his message or be like him, even though in many non-electoral-campaign ways he’s a model citizen.  I announced my campaign before him and began canvassing while he was beginning to lit drop, and he’s recently admitted that he doesn’t have a systematic canvassing strategy.  He’s mostly aggressive about proliferating signs, which don’t vote or inspire many new votes, especially when the competition is better.  I respect him as a man, but as a candidate, I’m not confident in him.  I recommend him as a 2nd or 3rd choice only to increase the odds that one of us unseats BJ, but GC is definitely more collaborative.  Know that.  Rank Marcus Harcus as your 1st choice, or any of the other challengers, but not the incumbent!  The status quo is unacceptable - BJ has to go!   

Quiest as it’s kept, I already have several incumbent allies on the City Council now, and I have both incumbent-challenger and open seat candidate allies campaigning in other words, so I am optimistic that once I’m elected we may have enough progressive votes on the next Minneapolis City Council to improve the way City Hall does business in the next term.  Do any of you seriously believe TP has any relationships like these?  He doesn’t.  Does any of his supporters actually believe he’ll be effective at organizing support from the other Councilmembers to move his agenda?  No.  Being a nice guy and a passionate community or partisan activist does not qualify one to be a skilled elected official.  BJ definitely knows the system after a lifetime of exposure and enough experience to retire on, but she is an unacceptable elected official.  I will not wait my turn!

Unfortunately, the City of Minneapolis places the onus of informing and imparting the importance of city elections on the candidates, and most of us are underfunded.  Only the incumbent bj has enough campaign funds to pay for costly ads in a variety of media outlets, consultants, a campaign office, etc. 

It is a shame that there will only be two debates this fall.  How can voters make informed choices about the candidates without ample opportunity to witness and listen to us presenting our campaigns and debating the issues together?  BJ said she welcomed discussions about the challenges and opportunities in our community, but she’s content running without widely engaging the community.  At our next, second and (hopefully not our - ) last debate I will strongly challenge my opponents to a third debate, to be held at Henry at the end of the month and with different moderators.  The League of Women Voters format is cool, but it’s boring.  I want an interactive forum, between candidates and the audience. 

If you’re reading this BLOG in time then please attend and when I pose the question of whether the community members present support this, please be there to scream your approval!!!

Thursday October 15th, 2009, 7:00pm-8:30pm.

Loring elementary school - 2600  44th Ave N Mpls, MN 55412  
(Thomas Ave & 44th Ave)

Thx!

mh

612.600.0155

peace

3 weeks until Election Day on November 3rd, 2009. 

Please donate &/or volunteer: www.marcusharcus.org

Greetings,

Check me out in the Star Tribune Voter’s Guide:
http://www.startribune.com/local/63900462.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr

Check me out in the Minnesota Independent:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/46783/ward-four-trio-of-challengers-take-on-political-dynasty

Note: the incident of police brutality referenced in this article incorrectly states that I was dragged to the ground.  I was ambushed on Plymouth Avenue by two cops who ordered me to lay face down in the icy street during a blizzard without even a conversation.  I refused because I had not commit any crime and wanted to know why they were violently trying to apprehend me.  I was punched in the face and hit with a knight stick in my spine.  Four officers struggled to lay me down before a thumb damaging submission hold compelled me to cease resisting, but I was never laid
down… 

Reminder:  The last of only two scheduled 4th Ward candidate debates is this Thursday October 15th, 2009, 7:00pm-8:30pm.  Please show up at Loring elementary school to show your support - 2600 44th Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55412.  It will be interesting, if not entertaining. 

Reminder:  On Wednesday October 21st I will be screening a promotional campaign DVD, making a campaign presentation, and playing beautiful music at the Capri Theatre - 2027 West Broadway Ave in N. Mpls, 55411.  This is also a FUNdraiser!  I’m trying to raise enough funds to pay for the final campaign literature, my fabulous campaign website and campaign expense debts. 

Election Day is in 3 weeks!!!   You will soon be relieved of electronic campaign updates…  I hope you’ve enjoyed my messages.  This is all pouring from my heart. 

Victory is very much possible, but it’s up to the voters, not me.  I have
consistently encountered profound support and encouragement from the vast majority of 4th Ward residents that I’ve met, but will all the words translate into works?  Will the people make it to the polls for a city election?  I’ve got faith!  With enough support I’ll be elected as the next 4th Ward City Councilmember to discontinue a played out dynasty and usher in a new era of progressive political leadership representing the Northside in City Hall.  If I’m not elected in November, it has been a rewarding experience but I highly doubt that I will run again, so if you believe this is the work I’m supposed to do now then please do what you can…  We’ve got this one life.

I’m speaking to those of you who have not been defeated by apathy, those of you with an imagination.  If you’re on this e-list I believe I’m talking to YOU!

Please donate and/or volunteer:  www.marcusharcus.org

Thx!

mh
612.600.0155
P.O. Box 11751
Mpls, MN  55411

peace & blessings

www.marcusharcus.org

This morning I opened my mailbox and found the October edition of the Camden News.  On the cover page were responses from the 4th Ward City Council candidates, including myself.  This edition isn’t yet available online (it’s still September), but we’ll try to post a link when it is.  For now, please read my response to their question - If elected, how will you communicate with the residents of the Fourth Ward and get input from them?”

“I envision a better organized 4^th Ward, with a widely informed and involved community helping me to effectively represent and serve the best interests of residential living in North Minneapolis.  I believe that people who are affected by issues need to be involved in public decision making to address them.  I’ll champion deep community engagement on the Northside to provide truly representative government and participatory democracy in local politics.

 I’m proposing a new model of community engagement from City Hall.  We’ll build what I’m tentatively calling a Northside Community Coalition, a vast and diverse network of residents interested in holding their city government accountable.  Residents will identify the issues that concern them and when we dealt with those issues on the City Council I will inform them of what’s going on, genuinely seeking their input.  You will decide the mode and frequency of our communications and there’s no specific level of commitment required to be a member of this coalition.  Do what you can!  This will be a responsive communications system designed to foster a critical mass of resident leadership which may potentially be mobilized for strategic community improvement actions.  I’ll consistently seek common ground on which we can work together to achieve real progress.  I’ll encourage less complaining and doing more of what works! 

 It’s my intention to represent and serve the entire Ward, not just a small segment.  I’ll consistently visit your neighborhood to remain accessible and in touch with community conditions.  Northsiders will get a far more engaging Council Member with me, one who is comfortable and competent in dealing with people from all walks of life.  I’ll remain sensitive to and inclusive of all the diversity in our community: generational, cultural, economic, religious, political, etc.  Engaging the constituents in our Ward that the incumbent doesn’t have the heart to interact with is a fundamental difference between us. 

 We’ll produce an interactive website for the 4^th Ward.  We’ll publish a monthly electronic newsletter.  We’ll develop innovative constituent service software to track inquiries and complaints, so we’ll remember what was said and done and ensure that we advocate for the best possible outcomes, continually learning and refining best practices. 

 When I’m elected, I’ll make city hall more accessible to Northsiders than ever before.  We’ll convene monthly community meetings and hold weekly community office hours ‘over North’, during times when most people are not working (accessibility).  I’d love to see the City Council scheduling public hearings in our neighborhoods.  Our office will return your calls and emails and I’ll make home visits when necessary.

My grassroots campaign is going door to door, canvassing 400+ blocks!  We’re on track to survey more than 1,000 residents before Election Day (already doing more listening than talking)!  I’m going to hold a series of campaign forums in late October to present the quantified survey results and facilitate discussions about the future of our community.  The way I campaign demonstrates the kind of Council Member I’ll be.  Join this campaign for Northside change!    

Debate at Salem Lutheran Church

The first Ward 4 City Council candidate debate was fun.  When I left the church I initially gave myself a B-, confident that I had outperformed all three of my opponents, but mildly disappointed that I hadn’t been perfect.  After receiving constructive criticism and reflecting on the debate an hour or two later at home, I raised my performance grade to B+.  Being in a generous mood, I gave each of my opponents B’s. 

I admit to being a little nervous, or as an observer described me, ”shy.”  Believe it or not, I am shy!  Most people, including my wife, don’t believe I’m shy when I tell them because I’m so often emboldened to be outspoken and active!

The format was decent, but I would have preferred a more interactive format…  It would be more interesting if the attendees were given the opportunity to directly ask the candidates questions - verbally.  Having event organizers screen and filter questions written on index cards may be somewhat time-efficient, but it’s also suspect because we don’t know if controversial questions are discarded for safer questions.  We as a community must discuss the controversial issues in order to begin acting to correct neighborhood and/or city problems.  Moreover, a good moderator will limit the length of time that audience questioners speak, individually and collectively, to fit the schedule.   

The issues we discussed:

*  Predatory lending and the foreclosure crisis

*  Holding landlords accountable

*  Being tough on crime and holding police accountable

*  Property taxes

*  Small businesses

*  Job creation

*  Our visions, as candidates, for how we’ll represent and communicate with the community

The time passed quickly during the 90 minute event, and I didn’t get to publicly challenge my opponents to more than the 2 debates that have been called before November 3rd, including another League of Women Voters moderated debate tentatively scheduled on Thursday October 15th.  I wanted to ask the 75-120 people in the audience if they believed the 4th Ward deserves more than a mere 2 debates!  If voters are to make a comparison between the 4 candidates, then how can they do it if they never get a chance to see us presenting our campaigns together, debating the issues.  2 debates is not enough!

I felt I did a good job of holding the incumbent accountable, calling out erroneous decisions on her voting record, and her enormous disconnection with most of the ward.  At one point I cut off TP, telling him that he doesn’t know me, because he repeatedly alleged that he was the only one of the candidates who had been active in the community, essentially claiming that none of us has done any community work.  That is offensive because most of the work I’ve done in my adult life has been community work, and I’ve volunteered hundreds if not thousands of hours during my young life!  Furthermore, it demonstrates how desperate he is to get elected, and I also questioned his motivations for running.  Is it for status?  I share his positions on most, if not all the issues he addresses, but being passionate about the community and being a DFL activist since he first ran 12 years ago doesn’t qualify him for the City Council. 

With only 39 days until the November 3rd Minneapolis Elections there is little time left to schedule many more candidate debates, but I’m going to draft letters this weekend to all of the churches and neighborhood groups in the ward to encourage them to organize additional debates. 

Debate at Henry high? 

In late August I delievered a letter to the Camden Youth Engagement Project (CYEP), encouraging them to organize and moderate a candidate debate.  We also called and left voice mail but we never heard back from them.  Last week I emailed the Community Events manager at Henry high school a letter addressed to the Principal Corey Harris, encouraging them to encourage students to make a student led debate happen, at Henry.  When I made a follow-up call, I was greeted was great enthusiasm and told they would get on it.  I offered to provide as much guidance and support as needed.  As the only candidate in the Ward 4 race who graduated from Henry, this venue would obviously provide me with homefield advantage.  More importantly, fostering opportunities for youth development is one of my a major platform issues.    I worked with kids from K-12 for 7 years after high school.  I intend to be very active with the Northside youth throughout my terms in office, helping to increase youth leadership development training and mentoring opportunities.

Here is the letter I sent to Henry:

“Dear Principal Harris,

My name is Marcus Harcus and I’m a candidate running for City Council in the 4^th Ward (located mostly in and covering most of Camden).  I’m writing to propose the involvement of Henry high students in the Minneapolis electoral process this year.  Most of the students may not be able to vote in the city elections but they can definitely play an influential role in the outcome and learn valuable lessons about civic engagement and democracy in action. 

In 2005 there were 16,260 registered voters in Ward 4, but only 3,984 of those people showed up at the polls (24%) to vote to elect the Mayor, and members of the City Council, Park Board and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.  Our Council Member ran uncontested in that race.  Of the 13 City Council Wards in Minneapolis, ours had the second lowest voter turnout in the city!

It’s boring and frustrating for voters, and it is unhealthy for democracy when elections don’t have rigorous debate about important issues and a diverse set of candidates to choose from.  Fortunately this year, 2009, there are 4 candidates, myself included, running for the 4^th Ward City Council office.  The three other candidates are Troy Parker, Grant Cermak, and the incumbent Barb Johnson.

This year promises to be an exciting and unprecedented election for Ward 4.  I am striving to canvass all 400+ residential blocks in the Ward, and Troy Parker is hanging campaign literature on every door in the Ward and planting many campaign signs.  Our efforts, individually and collectively, will significantly increase the voter turnout this year! 

This local election year will be historic for another reason:

The City of Minneapolis is implementing a new voting system called Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).  There will be no Primary Election this year (akin to championship playoffs and held in past years on the 2^nd Tuesday in September).  On the General Election Day, held on the 1^st Tuesday in November, all candidates’ names will appear on the ballot.  Voters will rank the candidates in order of their preference, for up to 3 candidates – 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd choices.  In order to get elected a candidate must get 50% of the total votes + 1 - a true majority.  If there is no winner on the first count then the candidate with the least votes gets eliminated from the ballot and all of the voters’ 2^nd ranked choices will transfer over to the remaining candidates.  If none of the remaining candidates reaches the true majority threshold on the second count then again the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and all of the voters’ 3^rd ranked choices will transfer over to the remaining candidates.  A winner should be decided by this point. 

Ranked Choice Voting serves the following purposes:

-          to save the City money by eliminating the Primary Election, which most voters typically don’t participate in

-          to provide the voters with more candidate options in the General Election and the ability to have their vote count for the winner, regardless who wins
(If not your 1^st choice, then either your 2^nd or 3^rd choice candidate will be elected)

-          to provide outcomes that are decided by a true majority vote of 50% + 1
(e.g. no election winners with 40% of the vote)

Last year’s presidential election got a lot of youth across the country excited and interested in politics as never before.  I would love to see this excitement carried on into local politics, and engage a generation of young people to encourage active political involvement in their community.

There are a few ways I envision the Henry students getting involved:

-          Organize and moderate a Ward 4 City Council Candidate Debate.  This would be powerful!  I believe such a debate should be held at Henry high school and address many issues that concern Northside youth.  Students in the audience should be allowed to ask the candidates questions.

-          Help educate the community about Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) by partnering with the City of Minneapolis’ RCV Outreach efforts.  I intend to do my part to educate the community, so if any individual Henry students are interested in independently helping me to distribute RCV educational literature door to door you are welcome to join me.

-          Participate in activities to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) leading up to, and on Election Day: Tuesday November 3^rd, 2009.     

It is my desire to engage the youth in our community, both during my campaign and after I’m elected.  If your group is open to advising me on how I might effectively recruit Northside youth to help me make history during the final 6 weeks of the campaign, then please inform me. 

Thanks for your attention and consideration.  I enthusiastically await your reply!

Sincerely,

Marcus Harcus

North Minneapolis

Wednesday, September 23^rd, 2009

Peace”

Candidate Debate

I’m preparing for a 4th Ward City Council candidate debate this upcoming Tuesday, September 22nd – 6:00pm – at Salem Lutheran church, 4150 North Dupont Avenue.  The League of Women Voters will moderate.  I’m excited!  If you’re reading this blog in time, please show up to support me!

The Victory Neighborhood Association recently invited me to another candidate debate on Thursday October 15th at Loring Elementary, so save the date and stay tuned!

It would be great if more community organizations would step up to organize additional candidate debates, at least one in each of the 7 residential neighborhoods in our ward.  Two debates are not enough and I’ll be certain to make this point on Tuesday, questioning the community members present if they agree and urging them to demand it.  Candidates canvassing, door knocking, lit dropping, and hand-shaking at community events does not give residents enough opportunities to see the candidates present their cases in direct competition with their challengers.  If we’re competing for votes, I believe voters should have numerous opportunities to make comparisons with us all present.  Blog readers – please show up to support me!

A Prayer

A couple weeks ago I was meeting with a great church woman, whose name I won’t disclose…  When she learned that I was running for City Council in Ward 4, and campaigning to unseat BJ, she immediately grabbed my hand and started praying.  It was deep.  There is such widespread discontent with the incumbent, and I’m talking about people from throughout the Northside and all across the Twin Cities metro area – that all it takes is for the disaffected to get organized, and that’s what I’m doing, as well as reaching out to those voters who may be confused and satisfied with the status quo.  I’m glad all of the challengers of the incumbent are mobilizing Northside residents who are ready for new blood on the City Council which has proven to be undemocratic and irresponsible too many times during the past 12 years.  Please pray for me and join this campaign for Northside Change!

Sign Wars

My campaign signs are finally proliferating now.  I’ve still got a couple hundred in my garage.  Many of my supporters don’t host political signs in their yards, which confirms my belief that while the signs are useful marketing tools to generate candidate name recognition (branding, damn it, branding), yard signs are not the decisive factor in determining the winner of electoral races.  Signs most definitely don’t indicate the best candidate.  Moreover, addressing issues doesn’t indicate one’s ability to do anything about it other than vote a particular way on City Council Actions. 

Thank God and my parents.  I’ve got the most memorable name by far and believe this is an advantage that will benefit me in the ballot boxes with undecided voters, so the quantity isn’t too important so long as the visibility of the signs is sufficient and more importantly, as long as enough community members are connected to the movement. 

Call or email me for a campaign sign or to volunteer:

o   (612) 600.0155 or

o   marcus@marcusharcus.org 

A woman called me a month ago and initially asked my wife for a Troy Parker sign.  The woman sounded confused and asked if my daughter went to Jenny Lind, which she does.  The phone was passed to me and after I explained who I was the caller asked me to deliver a campaign sign.  A day or two later I planted it in her yard.  When I canvassed her block a week later and arrived at her home this woman met me at the front door.  She told me that she had received the wrong sign because she had already met Troy Parker and promised him her vote.  I told her about the new Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system and how she can vote for up to three candidates, in order of her preference.  She told me that I could get her second ranked vote and that I could keep my sign in her yard as long as I called TP and asked him to deliver one of his signs to her.  Two days thereafter I called TP and left a message, describing the situation as I’ve written it here.  TP never called me back, but a week or so later I found my sign removed from the woman’s yard and placed outside of my front door.  I don’t believe TP was honest with the woman.  My sign was also scratched up and the rods were unnecessarily removed.  I reconstructed it and posted it in a supporter’s yard, directly across the street from TP’s house (lol).

When I recently asked someone to place a campaign sign in his yard I was informed that TP had posted two signs on the fence without permission.  I was granted permission to post mine as long as I removed TP’s, which I did.  I’ll soon return them to his front door, as a courtesy.  TP is campaigning tenaciously in terms of lit dropping and sign-raising, but I think he’s going too far.  Yesterday I witnessed one yard with at least 4 signs on the fence and early this summer I saw a sign on the parkway, although it was quickly removed (illegal). 

Campaign Finance Reports

BJ has an entrenched incumbent’s campaign bank account: She’s raised $39,319.17 this year and spent $31,055.23.  I noticed some big money names listed as donors on her campaign revenue statement, like Bill McGuirre (former United Health CEO) and Pohlad family members.  It seemed like many, if not most of them lived outside of the Northside or Minneapolis alltogether.  Yes, there’s no competing with her with fundraising, but I can do much more with much less! 

If everyone who is truly ready for change in our community’s representation in the 4^th Ward City Council office would contribute the minimum amount you can invest, we will do so much more than the incumbent with so much less because I’m running this race in a hardcore grassroots manner that resonates widely and deeply with the majority of Northsiders I meet, from all backgrounds. 

Please donate what and when you can.  If you can’t, please remember that volunteering is priceless because money won’t win this race – organizing will!

TP has raised less money than I have, $2,631.68, but his personal loan to his campaign of $4,958.37 has provided him with more than twice the amount of money I’ve raised, $3,111.  At the time of the report his remaining campaign cash balance was $301 and mine was $469.  I suspected he’d mostly self-financed his campaign since he ran for this office in 1997, shortly after moving to the Northside.  That was the same year BJ first ran for the seat vacated by her retiring mother, the late Alice Rainville, the first woman Council president and previous CM since 1975.  BJ began this campaign year 2009 with $13,017.19 and she has a remaining balance of $21,281.13.  She’s spent literally 10 times the amount of money that I’ve raised - $31,000, but she’s not door knocking and although her base of supporters are organized, they are far outnumbered.  These campaign finance numbers were submitted by our campaigns to the Hennepin County Campaign Finance Office in the 2009 Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Reports due on September 8th.  Don’t be confused or disillusioned because all of that money won’t  be enough.  The incumbent can’t afford to buy a re-election.  The 4th Ward tells me that 3 terms is enough for her! 

A great supporter recently motivated me and helped to organize a fundraiser at my home on September 17th.    Thank you AG!  I was reluctant to do this in my home, but we had an amazing potluck, good music, good conversation, a masseuse and good weather.  I was pleased to meet and get to know several neighbors that day!  Thanks to my wife and her sister from New Orleans; your support is appreciated!  (She told me, “you’re welcome.”)  It was a great event and we raised $1,350, including donations from people who couldn’t attend.  Prior to the event I had only $103 because it’s easy to spend money when you don’t have much.  What a difference a day makes! 

Even if YOU cannot afford to give a dollar, please consider raising modest amounts of money from your network to make a collective contribution / host a house party? 

Ward 4 in North Minneapolis needs, and the vast majority of people want a new face, with a youthful voice, high intelligence and a compassionate spirit representing them.  Northsiders want a Northside native who deeply cares about the community and will faithfully serve the community’s best interests.  I will work on the City Council with the community to improve the quality of residential living, champion sustainable economic development, foster opportunities and save taxpayer’s money.  I’ll work harder and smarter with a coalition of community members to demonstrate the kind of collaborative, visionary, equitable, engaging and progressive political leadership that the City of Minneapolis needs.  

Greetings and good living,

It’s too late / early for me to be blogging since I have a long day tomorrow beginning with a LONG bike ride to the Minnehaha falls area to discuss the city budget, but I am expressing myself. 

Picking up the pace

With a little more than 8 weeks remaining before Election Day, I have been motivated by necessity to pick up the canvassing pace.  We’ve canvassed half of the Ward, approximately 200 blocks, meaning 200 more need coverage.  I’ve been urged by some to stop the EVERY door to door campaign and target the “persistent voters,” those few thousand residents who always vote in City Elections.  I considered such a change in the original plan to knock nearly every door on every block, but I decided against it.  I truly want to be a City Council Member who represents the entire ward, without bias.  Moreover, half of those persistent voters are hardcore bj supporters, and if we knock on every, or most doors in the Ward then we’ll reach all of them anyway in addition to thousands of other potential voters who are discontent with the incumbent and / or open to my campaign and community visioning.   

I’ve made a recent recruitment call for 20 volunteers to commit to canvassing 10 blocks each by mid-October.  10 people quickly committed.  I can probably cover another 100 blocks in 6 weeks, but the more help I get the more other kinds of campaigning I can do.  We need 10 more people.  It’s easy, mostly fun, good exercise and a transformative learning experience if you do enough of it.  Each block takes an average of an hour.  Will you be one of the 10? 

If you are afraid of door knocking then consider lit dropping, or leafletting doors without talking to residents. 

Please contact me if you’re interested and available: (612) 600-0155 or marcus@marcusharcus.org.

Better photographc images

I’ve received many complaints during this campaign about not presenting a more professional looking photo on my website.  Many people have talked to me about the importance of exhibiting a polished image, always in a suit and tie with a clean shaven, bald face.  That’s not me.  I’ll wear a goattee baby.  To be honest, I only own one suit - it’s very nice - and although I do have some nice slacks and shirts, my wardrobe is lacking.  Don’t worry though fashion police, because after I’m elected I’ll purchase 2 weeks worth of suits and wear them nearly everyday to work.  Most importantly, I’ll remain humble no matter what I’m wearing because people and machines make my clothes, but clothes don’t make Marcus Harcus.  I believe in treating everyone, all good people, with equal respect, regardless of how they are dressed.  ”Destruction of your soul is vanity…” - Buju Banton.  Uh, oh, I realize I’m preaching, so I’ll stop. 

In the tri-fold brochure I’ve been delivering to thousands of doors I am wearing a pin striped, long sleeve shirt and have a 7 o’clock shadow.  It was the only electronic photo I had because I don’t own a digital camera.  In the next order of 5,000 brochures I’ll be wearing my only suit with a clean shaved goattee.  Subsequent campaign lit pieces will look as polished as my advisors desire.  We’ll all be happy!  Blah, blah, blah…  

Yard Signs

I am currently losing the sign war in dramatic fashion.  I am confident that I will ultimately win this election because of the many direct connections I’m making at the homes of voters, but my weakness in raising funds has delayed the ordering of hundreds of campaign signs.  All of my opponents have more money than me; it’s evident.  If I could self-finance the campaign I would, but I can’t, so I ain’t.  This is a grassroots campaign and I am depending on low-income and middle-income earning individuals and families to make small donations.  Hundreds of campaign signs will arrive by next weekend and they will go fast, so I know I can compete.  I’ve got more demand than I can supply unless my supporters make donations so I can replinish the stock.  The psychological impact on some of my close supporters about losing the sign war hurts them and it consequently hurts me a little bit.  An old, wise friend of mine with over 5 decades of political experience told me that the yard signs are played out, politics as usual business that doesn’t influence additional voters much = inconsequential.  The candidate with the most campaign funds or signs is not gauranteed to win.  History has proven this all over the country.  If you count up all the tp and bj signs it would not equal a third of the number of people who will ultimately vote on election day.  I’ve got several hundreds of committed voters already without the signs yet, and that doesn’t include their families, friends and neighbors.  My supporters will be encouraged, with guidance, to mobilize their networks to get out the vote in record numbers and make some local history over North this November 3rd.  I look forward to my signs proliferating in yards throughout the 4th Ward, but I’m not fazed much by seeing my opponents’ signs outnumbering me.  When mine are up in strong force I will not allow it to get to my head. 

Branding myself as a political commodity to get elected is kind of unreal.  I don’t care for intense self-marketing, but I’m doing this for the cause behind it - to become a strong community advocate and political organizer - and because I believe in implementing real representative goverment and participatory democracy.

I will not make promises of specific results, but I will share my goals and promise confidently that I care deeply about the community and will try my best to succeed in representing and serving the Northside progressively, equitably, engagingly and effectively. 

 Please join this campaign for Northside CHANGE.

Thx!

mh

612 600-0155

marcus@marcusharcus.org

(inner) peace

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is the new voting system being implemented this year by the City of Minneapolis.  There will be no Primary election in September, which most voters typically skip anyway.  All candidates who filed candidacies at the Minneapolis Election Office will appear on the ballot on General Election Day, November 3^rd, 2009.  Voters will rank candidates in order of their preference for up to 3 candidates – 1^st ranked choice, 2^nd ranked choice and 3^rd ranked choice.  In order to get elected one of the candidates must get 50% of the votes +1 (a true majority). 

There are 4 candidates running in the 4^th Ward City Council race this year.  If none of us reaches this 50% +1 majority threshold on the first vote count then the candidate with the least votes gets eliminated from the ballot and all of the voters’ 2^nd ranked votes get transferred to the remaining 3 candidates.  If none of the remaining 3 candidates reaches that 50% + 1 threshold then again the candidate with the least votes gets dropped from the ballot and the voters’ 3^rd ranked votes transfer to the 2 remaining candidates.  There must be a winner at this point.  I’ll explain this better in the near future with visual images once I gain clarification and figure out how to articulate the process better (best). 

I launched my campaign on January 31^st of this year, 2009.  While I initially wasn’t expecting another challenger to the incumbent’s 3^rd re-election bid – she ran uncontested in 2005 - I was not surprised nor disappointed when TP announced a month or two later.  Understanding the advantages of having three or more opponents in an RCV election means that TP’s candidacy increases my odds of winning. 

The candidate filing period for Minneapolis elections this year began July 7^th, 2009 and ended July 21^st, 2009.  On the final filing day Grant Cermak (GC), a self-described “Ron Paul Republican” filed as an Independent candidate seeking the 4^th Ward City Council office.  GC ran as a Republican against the incumbent State Representative Joe Mullery during the last 58A election.  GC seems to understand RCV because he called me the day after candidate filings were closed and we met the following morning.  He proposed that we collaborate by encouraging our supporters to rank each of us as their 2^nd ranked choices on the ballot, in order to unseat BJ.  Republican is a bad word for many people in Minneapolis, especially over North, but there are some here.  (Some have indicated that I may get their votes)  Although I vote Democrat most of the time and have never voted Republican, I’m essentially non-partisan – really independent – so I don’t obsess over political party affiliation.  I’m not any party’s ‘ride or die’ member.  I appreciate GC’s independent leanings and I didn’t disagree with the few issue positions that he shared with me, but I didn’t commit to the proposal because he said he wasn’t going to be actively campaigning and I need to know more about his politics.  He’s depending on support from some of the 3,000 votes he told me he got during his State Representative campaign.  When I asked GC if he was going to reach out to TP he wasn’t clear, but it seemed possible.  We’ll see.  I’ll be glad to have an additional voice in the candidate debates.  This is all so very interesting…

OK, I’m finally getting to the point of this post: TP doesn’t seem to get RCV.  I parked behind him when I arrived at the Lind-Bohanon National Night Out event with my daughter.  I greeted him and his family and suggested to him (even after a few previous incidents with non-responses) that we collaborate by encouraging each others’ voters to rank each of us as their 2^nd choice.  BJ is deeply entrenched and has a reliable base of 2,000 – 3,000 voters, but both TP and I are reaching out to many people who usually don’t vote in City level elections, and to the many consistent voters who are discontent (to put it mildly) with the incumbent. 

(One man said to me, “If so many people don’t like BJ then how does she keep getting re-elected?”  It’s because most of the Ward typically tunes out of local politics - although many of us stay tuned to the national news - resulting in low voter turn-out.  This year BJ has an opponent in me who is going door to door, and God willing, I’ll make it to nearly every door.  Once the residents who care about the community but are disconnected from their City Council / City politics get connected with candidates that they can believe in then entrenched incumbents can be removed from office by the majority, the disaffected people.) 

In response to my proposition, Troy mumbled unconvincingly under his breath that “we might sit down one day.”  If he can’t think on his feet and make a simple decision about an arrangement that works in his favor and in the best interest of our community than it’s hard for me to be confident that he’ll make more critical decisions on behalf of the community – decisions that will often require discernment under pressure and decision making within a short time frame.  Frankly, I’m disappointed in TP and will not directly encourage my voters to rank him as their second choice.  BJ will be glad about this.  I’ll be doing my best to educate the community about how RCV works, but my supporters’ 2^nd and 3^rd choices are up to them.  For the many Northsiders who don’t want a 4^th term of the incumbent, they’ll know who to not rank.  She’s a nice lady, but I’m not feeling her politics and that’s why it makes since for the challengers to collaborate with RCV.  I’m still asking for the 2^nd or 3^rd ranked choices of all the candidates’ supporters, including everyone whose 1^st ranked choice vote isn’t Marcus Harcus. 

I don’t think any of the 3 challengers will be openly collaborating with the incumbent.  I’m sure she realizes this.  A couple of months ago the City Council voted whether or not to move forward with the implementation of RCV this fall, because they had the option of deciding that the city wasn’t ready to implement the new voting system.  5^th Ward Council Member Don Samuels was absent from that vote and BJ was one of 2 Council Members who voted against the will of the people again: → In a 2005 City referendum (a public decision to be made by the voters on their election ballots) 2/3^rds of the Minneapolis voters voted in favor of RCV and that’s why it’s going down this year Minneapolitans.  I’m worried about the potentially high level of confusion at the polls, because most of the people I speak to about RCV don’t know about it or don’t yet understand how it works.  I’ve knocked on the doors of many election judges who are nervous about it too. 

It should be made clear to all candidates and voters that ranking only 1 candidate poses the risk to a voter of not having their vote count in the event that their 1^st ranked choice candidate is dropped from the ballot before a winner is decided.  Hypothetically speaking, if either TP’s supporters only ranked him as their 1^st ranked choice but didn’t rank another candidate, like me, as their 2^nd or 3^rd ranked choices then their vote would not count in subsequent rounds if and when none of the candidates reached the 50% + 1 majority of votes in the first or second or third round(s).  Voters should also know that they cannot rank 1 candidate more than once, meaning my supporters cannot rank me as their 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd choice.  We’ve got to play by these new rules people otherwise we’ll get played! 

***

Splitting the Race-based, Age-based, Partisan-based voting

Many people have suggested that because both TP and I are Black that we will split the Black vote.  I admit that I’ve worried about it too, more than once.  This is quite possible, but it seems inevitable that many, if not most of TP’s African American voters and most of mine will more than likely rank each of us as their 2^nd choice anyway.  It should be noted that most Black people do enjoy supporting Black candidates, but most of us don’t blindly cast our ballot for candidates simply because they are Black.  That would be ridiculous.  If U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas moved over North and ran for City Council he’d struggle to get 100 Black votes.  African Americans are far from monolithic, just like any other ‘census tracked group.’

I don’t like analyzing potential voter segments along the lines of so-called “race,” because it seems polarizing to me, but it is the way our “race obsessed” society operates, in perpetuity.  For me, there is only one race, the human race, but I recognize that there are idiosyncratic cultural differences between groups that must be acknowledged and accommodated.  The diversity of physical appearances, historical experiences, continents and countries of origin, traditional customs, religious views and practices, and varying social norms are valuable.  However, regardless where we or our ancestors migrated from, we all share a human experience, meaning we all do the same basic things to survive.  An older Hmong man said it would be great if we could all get to know each other better so that we can understand each other and get along better.  All of this diversity exists in our neighborhoods and it is beautiful on a physical level, but I believe that the more we can focus on our communalities the greater sense of community we can build.  Many people have lamented about the lack of cross-cultural interactions in our very diverse neighborhoods. 

There are about as many European Americans as there are African Americans and the Asian American population is sizable here too.  I’ve met many Native Americans.  I’ve met many Latinos, multi-generational Americans and new immigrants, as well as immigrants from Africa, the Middle Eastern and Western Asia who have lived here for years.  The electorate is diverse and therefore no one “racial group” will decide the outcome of the Ward 4 race.  Moreover, any elected officials who represent North Minneapolis must be culturally competent in communicating with and representing the interests of a very diverse community and I believe I’m most qualified because I’ve grown up during the past few decades during the local explosion in “racial” diversification.  I’ve gone to school, worked with and befriended a wide cultural diversity of humans and I have a knack for getting people from all walks of life OPEN and comfortable communicating and working with me.  I speak with and mostly listen to people even if they lack the right to vote (too young, not citizens, or disenfranchised by probation / parole, prohibited by religious doctrines, etc.) because regardless who votes for me, I will represent and serve all 4^th Ward residents.

I hope people are not voting for candidates simply because they perceive one supposedly “looks like me,” is older, a member of a particular political party (“you’re in a gang”) or the candidate with the most yard sign, because that is superficial, out-dated and foolish thinking.  I know “sense is not common,” but come on Northsiders - choose the best political representation for our community!  Get OPEN, listen to the candidates… see through the empty rhetoric, political posturing and pandering and make your ranked choices based on the one(s) whose platform resonates most with your values, with your heart and mind.  Vote for the candidate who is most capable of representing and serving our community with equitable, engaging and effective public leadership.  The status quo is unacceptable, as is ambitious political career opportunism dominated by self-interest.  You’ve got a nurse, a pipefitter and an intellectual community organizer to choose from. 

***