Star Tribune endorses Hodges, spurns Andrew
Betsy Hodges' campaign for Minneapolis mayor received a boost today from the city's daily paper.
The Star Tribune endorsed Hodges as its first choice in the crowded, 35-candidate field.
The paper applauded her work on the city's budget and her willingness to challenge powerful police and firefighter unions on pension issues.
"I couldn't have predicted exactly how it would feel to read something like this, but it turns out it feels both humbling and good," Hodges wrote on her Facebook page.
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Because Minneapolis uses ranked choice voting, also called instant runoff voting, the Star Tribune announced second- and third-choice endorsements. City Council Member Don Samuels won the silver medal; former City Council President Jackie Cherryhomes got the bronze.
Perhaps more notable than the candidates who made the top three was the one who didn't. The paper passed over former Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Andrew, who is widely perceived as the closest thing the race has to a frontrunner.
The editorial said Andrew is too cozy with labor unions and "too often changed his campaign messages to suit his audience."
While the Strib's snub no doubt stings, Andrew certainly isn't hurting for endorsements. His supporters include an array of labor unions, DFL bigwigs, and three sitting members of the Minneapolis City Council.