It helps to have friends in high places, and it helps to have friends everywhere. The year 2015 is still young, but West Side activist Rebecca Noecker is the first city council candidate this year to get her campaign finance reports in for the season.
After recent campaign expenses, Noecker -- who is running for the Ward 2 seat currently held by Dave Thune -- still has about $10,000 on hand, according to the report, which lists donors, donations, and itemized expenses.
Interestingly enough, a lot of her money is coming in from outside of St. Paul and even outside of Minnesota. Of some 85 or so donations this past season, 25 came from donors who listed St. Paul as their mailing address. Read for yourself, here: https://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/2015CampaignFinanceReports.htm
Her parents were both doctors at the VA Medical Center, and there are more than a few donors on her campaign finance reports who list medical and health science institutions as their employers.
Other notable donors include downtown property owner Rich Pakonen of PAK Properties, downtown St. Paul public relations guru Mike Zipko, attorney Brian Alton, fellow council candidate Jane Prince, bicycling activist Andrew Singer and downtown activist Jim Ivey.
Noecker, who attended Harvard University, taught in Baton Rouge, Louisiana through Teach for America and recruited young professionals to teach in low-income schools through a similar program based in Pune, India. Read for yourself, here: http://rebeccanoecker.com/about/
Noecker currently works for AchieveMPLS, a Minneapolis-based outfit which runs college- and career-readiness programs for urban youth, and she sits on the St. Paul Planning Commission.
The good people at the urban planning blog StreetsMN have created this audio interview with Noecker (that’s called a ‘Podcast’), which was recorded by campaign volunteer Bill Lindeke: http://streets.mn/2015/01/12/podcast-79-saint-pauls-ward-2-with-rebecca-noecker/.
The November 2015 election is still many moons away, but the ranked-choice election is likely to be a crowded one. To date, the announced candidates include Noecker, Marit Brock, Louis Garcia, Darren Tobolt and Cara Martner. Thune is not running for re-election to another four-year term.
What’s that you say? November feels too far away for you to tune in? Actually, neighborhood political wonks will you tell you that some decisive steps in the democratic process are just days away.
All seven of the DFL Ward caucuses will be held Feb. 3 at different locations throughout the city. The DFL City Convention will be held Sunday, April 19.
All seven city council seats will be on the November ballot.
Read all about the DFL endorsement process here: https://stpauldfl.wordpress.com/caucuses-and-ward-and-city-conventions/caucus-and-ward-convention-details/.
The St. Paul Republican City Committee will hold a citywide caucus at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 at St. Paul College, 235 Marshall Ave. in St. Paul, in the theater room.
The post Ward 2: Rebecca Noecker podcast, campaign finance report tell-all appeared first on City Hall Scoop.
