Minneapolis DFL supports Gordon

While the Minneapolis DFL Party is without a candidate to endorse for the 2nd Ward Minneapolis City Council elections this year, it has put its stamp of approval on Green Party member Cam Gordon’s campaign.

Facing no candidate to endorse for the 2nd Ward race, which represents much of the University of Minnesota community, several DFL members proposed a last minute resolution to not officially endorse a candidate but still support the re-election of Gordon.

The resolution was approved, almost unanimously, by the small crowd gathered at the 2nd Ward Convention on Saturday in Matthews Park.

“If we just voted to have no endorsement, people would think we don’t have an opinion,” Peter Wagenius, policy aide for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, said . “If we think Cam has done a good job, we should say so and not leave here without supporting a candidate.”

Charles Carlson, a University student and former candidate for the 2nd Ward race, dropped out in March following a series of lies about where he grew up and attended school. Carlson was the only candidate who opted to run under the DFL Party.

Allen Aigbogun , a Cedar-Riverside resident and University alumnus, is the only announced challenger to Gordon, and he’s running as a Republican.

“The 2nd Ward usually has more [DFL] candidates than it can handle,” said Joan Campbell, a former 2nd Ward councilmember and a long-time activist.

Campbell said she can only remember one other time in the 1970s when no DFL candidate was endorsed.

In that case, there were no challengers to a Republican incumbent.

“We didn’t even hold a convention that year,” Campbell said.

Sheldon Mains, chairman of the Seward Neighborhood Group , said he did not support Cam Gordon when he first ran four years ago, but watching Gordon’s actions as a councilmember has changed his mind.

“He has been voting for things that I agree with,” Mains said. “He shares the same principals as the Democrats in Ward 2.”

But not everyone thought it was a good idea to support a non-DFL candidate for the City Council seat.

Solomon O’Lunigh, a Cedar-Riverside resident, said although Gordon is a great candidate, he thinks it’s confusing to not endorse a DFL candidate while supporting a candidate from another party.

“It’s just something we shouldn’t do,” he said.

Gordon, who attended the convention, said he was both surprised and “humbled” to get such wide support from the city’s DFL Party.

Gordon is running for re-election to a second term, but has yet to be endorsed by the Green Party. Gordon said he hopes to win their endorsement at the party’s May 9 convention.

Other big name DFL candidates made appearances at the convention, including Mayor Rybak and Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, who just announced his candidacy for governor of Minnesota.

Marty said it was nice to see the DFL leadership comfortable with supporting a candidate from another party.

“This is a solid progressive community,” he said. “It’s a place that wants to see change regardless of party ties.”