mpls: 2nd ward city council

Today the strib endorsed Cam Gordon for Ward 2 City Councilmember, choosing the Green Party loyalist over DFL hopeful, Cara Letofsky. Gordon has his work cut out for him if he wants to beat the well-funded, well-organized, and hard-working Letofsky, but I think anyone who knows both of them will agree with the paper's editorial board on this one.

Gordon is the most articulate Green Party member in the city, and would serve his ward well if elected. Plus, he has taken an oath not to accept campaign contributions from real estate developers, which is no small statement in today's booming Minneapolis market.

As a "Green moderate," Gordon offers a departure from the DFL template that dominates City Hall. Gordon has a long history of civic service, a strong ethical sense and a collaborative personality.

DFLer Cara Letofsky has a stellar record in affordable housing and community development. Her views are similar to Gordon's. Our concern is that she would bring lock-step allegiance to unions and to the orthodox DFL line on a council that needs the flexibility and independent thinking that Gordon could deliver.

I saw both of them at a recent forum at the U of M, and policy-wise, there's not a whole lot separating Gordon from Letofsky. Both came out in favor of liveability issues, both are grassroots environmentalists. Like Lilligren and Zimmermann in the 6th, the main difference involves the party structure behind the candidates. While the appetite for city government reform might not be as strong as it was in 2001, if Gordon knocks on enough doors, and channels voter unease, he might win this race.