Minneapolis & Saint Paul Mayoral Candidates 2013

Tuesday, November 5th, 2013 is election day. Saint Paul has four mayoral candidates. Minneapolis has 35 mayoral candidates.

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Candidates for Saint Paul Mayor

Two Saint Paul mayoral candidates -- Tim Holden and Kurt Dornfeld -- are opposed to light rail.

Tim Holden's website explains why he's running: "My business is on University Avenue — right where they are building the Central Corridor. It’s pretty hard to ignore city politics when it threatens your livelihood, so I got involved.You may not know this, but many business people along University Avenue opposed building the central corridor light rail line in front of their businesses. Not because we hate transit but because lost parking equals lost revenue, which equals business closure (70+ to date!).  The University Avenue bus line is one of the most successful transit lines in the Twin Cities, and actually makes money unlike most bus lines. The Central Corridor project has been a direct threat to all businesses. Years of construction has driven customers away, and the city has taken away over 1000 parking spaces with no plan to replace them..." [more]

Kurt Dornfeld says Saint Paul should spend money repairing streets not on useless light rail. [more]


Saint Paul Mayoral Results (1st choices):
Chris Coleman received 23,875 votes. Tim Holden received 4,978 votes. Chris Coleman told MPR, "Gateway Corridor [will go] to Stillwater and beyond." He sounds like Buzz Lightyear. And he wants investors to build more condos in downtown Saint Paul.

Candidates for Minneapolis Mayor

John Hartwig is against light rail and streetcars. [more]

Dan Cohen says transit improvements should focus on supporting the MTC bus system with smaller 15 passenger buses. The best (& safest) route for the Southwest Corridor is the Midtown Greenway. And streetcars are “an expensive toy and totally unnecessary to fill any transportation needs.” [more & more]

Cam Winston says the Southwest Corridor should be in the Midtown Greenway. And streetcars are a "wasteful boondoggle." [more & more & more]

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Gateway Corridor Film 

"Is the Gateway Corridor-Hudson Road Alignment a Pure Illusion?"
by Steven Ellenwood
Tuesday, November 29, 2013 at 6pm
R. H. Stafford Library, 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury, MN 55125 
free

[more information]

Saint Paul & Woodbury August 14 Primary Election Candidates

Update August 15, 2012: Congratulations to Foung Hawj on winning the State Senator District 67 - Democrat Primary



Vote for Tom Dimond - State Senator District 67

Here's what Tom Dimond says when asked about the Gateway Corridor plan to run a train on residential streets:
"I served on a transportation task force for District 1. We strongly recommended against LRT running down White Bear Ave and through single family residential neighborhoods. We recommended that if LRT is built it should be located in the I-94 corridor. The plan was approved by District 1. I have attended meetings in Dayton's Bluff District 4 and District 5 and many people had similar concerns. I support the District 1 Transportation Plan."

Or vote for Foung Hawj - State Senator District 67

Here's what the campaign manager for Foung Hawj says when asked about the Gateway Corridor plan to run a train on residential streets:
"We have not really had a chance to develop a policy on the proposed Gateway Corridor, but as we have seen with the Central Corridor light rail, this is very disruptive to neighborhood residents and businesses. Foung believes that any project in our neighborhoods should only be pursued after those most affected by it have a chance to have their concerns not only heard, but also addressed to their satisfaction. He showed that when he brought community concerns to the District 2 meetings about the new Cub Food at Phalen Blvd. and at many other occasions. Foung has been a community activist for the past 21 years. When he gets elected, it will be on the strengths of his community support. He will not be beholden to any special interest groups, but only his community on the Eastside."

Vote for Nancy Remakel - Washington County Commissioner from Woodbury

The Washington County Commissioner representing Woodbury is Lisa Weik, who is the chair of the Gateway Corridor Commission. The Gateway Corridor is a set of transportation concepts in search of a goal that often shows light rail running on the residential streets of St. Paul. According to the April 2012 commission meeting minutes Weik stated, "This is something very real and the timing is right if the east metro comes on line now with a transit system that they haven't seen since the 1950's and the streetcars."

The streetcars of the 1950s and earlier are not the 49,000 lb. (when empty) Bombardier Flexify light rail trains used on the Hiawatha Line. Light rail trains cannot stop quickly; that's not their purpose. Accidents happen.

Nancy Remakel is running against Weik for Washington County Commissioner. She states that she knows the difference between a streetcar and a light rail train.

Vote for someone other than Jim McDonough - Ramsey County Commissioner - District 5

Long time Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough continues to push for the light rail transit line (LRT) to zig-zag through Eastside residential streets, as a means to attract a buyer to the mostly leveled 3M plant (dubbed Beacon Bluff) at Minnehaha and Arcade.

Vote for someone other than Tim Mahoney - State Representative District 67A

Minnesota State Representative Tim Mahoney talked about what great things the Hiawatha Line did for the Lake and Hiawatha intersection and was quickly corrected by the crowd (at the Gateway Corridor meeting in March 2012).


For the best candidate information, go to Vote411.org (League of Women Voters).

Other information is available through the Secretary of State's Office.