With the Nov. 3 election five months away, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce’s Political Action Committee has endorsed five candidates for St. Paul City Council, most of them incumbents, as well as Rebecca Noecker for the open seat in Ward 2.
The PAC, however, decided not to throw its support to Ward 1 Council Member Dai Thao or any of his three challengers, and it also chose not to back Jane Prince, the DFL-endorsed candidate for the open seat in Ward 7.
This dubious-looking man is also running for election, but to what office, no one knows...
Each candidate supported by the PAC will receive $600, the maximum donation allowed under campaign finance rules. More candidates can yet materialize, as the political filing period runs from July 28 to Aug. 11.
“We believe these are the best candidates to champion the business community’s commitment to making the region a premier place to live, work and do business,” said Louis Suarez, chair of the PAC Board of Directors, in a written statement.
The chamber PAC is backing Noecker, a West Side activist, for the open seat in Ward 2, which also spans downtown and West Seventh Street. She faces Ramsey County legislative aide Darren Tobolt, a DFL organizer, and Independence Party candidate Cara Martner, an arts consultant.
The committee is supporting Council Member Chris Tolbert in Ward 3, which spans Highland Park and Mac-Groveland, and Council President Russ Stark in Ward 4, which spans Hamline-Midway, Merriam Park and St. Anthony Park. So far, both candidates are running unopposed.
The committee is backing Council Member Amy Brendmoen in Ward 5 over challengers David Glass, a former coffee shop owner, and safety engineer David Sullivan-Nightengale. The ward spans Como, the North End, Payne-Phalen and Railroad Island.
The committee endorsed Council Member Dan Bostrom in Ward 6, which includes the Greater East Side neighborhoods of Frost Lake, Hayden Heights, Hazel Park, Payne-Phalen, Phalen Village and Prosperity. He is currently facing challenger James Lockwood, a communications professional.
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The chamber did not make an endorsement in Ward 1, where Council Member Dai Thao faces challengers Samakab Hussein, Trahern Crews and Mohamed Said. The ward spans the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods.
The chamber also declined to endorse a candidate for the open seat in Ward 7, which includes Dayton’s Bluff, Mounds Park, Battle Creek, Highwood, Hazel Park, Conway, Scenic Hills and Sunray. In February, attorney Jane Prince won the DFL endorsement for the seat in a nail-biter over five candidates.
Steve Frazer confirmed on Thursday he is no longer in the running; the other Ward 7 candidates had previously ended their candidacies.
The chamber’s political action committee is not endorsing St. Paul school board candidates. The PAC has created an online voter’s guide featuring questionnaires filled out by the candidates at www.eastmetrovoterguide.com.
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