Municipal Elections

[socaldem]

Hey, I know few people pay attention to Municipal elections, but they're important for growing party benches. 

I know there are elections in NYC where Mike Bloomberg will win, in Detroit where Hendrix is expected to clean up, and in St. Paul, where Randy Kelly will be booted from office by Chris Coleman.

What other races should be watched?

Down here in Southern California, I'm watching the races in Palmdale, Palm Springs, and Riverside. 

Palmdale is currently completely controlled by the GOP.  There are, however, a pair of Dems--Mark Walters and Kathleen Morgan--running for city council that could shake things up and help build the party in the Antelope Valley.  Palmdale went very narrowly to Bush in 2000 and 2004.  Also in the race is Republican Steve Knight, pursuing a political career in the footsteps of his legendary father--the deceased frmr State sen/Palmdale Mayor Pete Knight.  His father bacame particularly notable for authoring CA's anti-gay marriage legislation, something that caused a minor scandal when his other son, Patrick, who is gay, actually got married in San Francisco against his father's wishes when same-sex marriages were briefly recognized in the state. 

Palm Springs, meanwhile, is becoming more and more Democratic with the rise of the gay population (~35-40%) which may eventually turn Eastern Riverside County to the Democrats.  In 2003 the city of about 50,000 (it is very rapidly growing), which has a miniscule <10% black population elected Ronald Oden, perhaps the first gay black mayor in the nation!  Since gays tend to be extremely politically active, they are well represented and currently a majority of the elected officials are actually gay or lesbian including Democrats Steve Pougnet and Ginny Foat.  Democrats are hoping to pick up another seat... in the future we might see some of these candidates pursue a higher office (provided Riverside Co. is ungerrymandered).

Any other municipal races of note?

[socaldem]

The Minneapolis Mayoral race should be rather close between incumbent Mayor R.T. Rybak and Hennepin County Commisioner Peter McLaughlin. Both candidates are Democrats and are fighting to be known as the more liberal candidate. In the open primary back in September Rybak finished with 45% to McLaughlin's 35%. I want Rybak to win because I'm hoping that he will take on Norm Coleman in the senate race in 2008, and I think it would just be too soon for McLaughlin to run for higher office.

I'm not sure a Minneapolis mayor can really make the jump to statewide office in MN... Democratic big city mayors have a hard time with statewide campaigns, governor Rendell, of course, being the exception...

Do you think Rep. McCollum would make a good challenger to Coleman?  Perhaps state sen. Steve Kelley.... or AG Mike Hatch, if he loses a squeaker to Pawlenty.  Definitely not Al Franken....