Howie Hanson
Duluth blogger and city councilor Howie Hanson will resume his campaign for the city’s top job. He had announced his withdrawal from the race, but has changed his mind. He joins Emily Larson, boxing promotor Chuck Horton and auto mechanic Jim Mattson as announced candidates to succeed popular Mayor Don Ness, who is not seeking re-election.
Filing doesn’t open until July 7, so more candidates could enter. With four already declared, there will be a primary. Larson is an early front-runner. She picked up the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsement in this DFL-dominated city, and has a number of high profile endorsements.
In this Duluth News Tribune story, Hanson said his background as a journalist and blogger will inform his leadership:
“Indeed, journalism is my passion. And it’s also my biggest strength as an elected official,” he said. “When we ask questions, we advance, because it leads to solutions. Sometimes the truth hurts, but that doesn’t mean we stop asking questions or sweep things under the rug.”
Hanson said he believes the skills he has honed as a blogger and reporter have served him well in office.
“I think I’ve shown that in my first nearly two years on the council: I’m not afraid to ask difficult questions, to bring forward a community pulse and to make the right decisions on behalf of the community,” he said.
I am uncertain as to what exactly Howie is up to here. Emily Larson has rolled up almost all the support Howie would have as his base, unless some labor organizations are going to support him, and Larson is far ahead on fund raising and organization.
So far, Howie has not said much of anything about issues that may separate him from Larson. If he does introduce some discussion of issues that might be worthwhile in a race where so far issues have not really had much impact or discussion.
The one possibility that this raises is that the primary could produce a race between two Democrats, both historically in the more moderate wing of the DFL. I am uncertain what they would talk about in that case.