News
Post-election news roundup
GreenSaintPaul Press Release: Green Party Awaits Final Results in Ward 2 and Posts Impressive Results in Wards 1 and 6
"During the 2011 campaign, the Green Party candidates for St. Paul City Council took their message to the people in Wards 1, 2 and 6 with impressive results against their established DFL incumbents"
MPR: Ranked-choice election leads to recount in St. Paul ward
"Green party candidate Jim Ivey is Thune's strongest opposition, with 1,400 first place votes -- about 26 percent of the first round of results. Bill Hosko is third, with about 25 percent. "
Star Tribune: Ranked voting gets first runoff test
"The election marked the first use of ranked voting in St. Paul. The switch went off smoothly by all accounts. A big test, however, comes Monday when Ramsey County Elections Director Joe Mansky's office will begin counting the second-place votes of the bottom three finishers: Sharon Anderson, Cynthia P. Schanno and the write-in candidates. Their second-choice votes will be redistributed to the top three candidates, one of whom will eventually be dropped."
MinnPost: One St. Paul incumbent ousted; another awaits Round 2 of IRV
"Another apparent winner in the election: the Ranked Choice system. Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Manksy was seen grinning from ear to ear while talking with election judges around town."
TC Daily Planet: Ranked Choice voting will decide Ward 2; Brendmoen edges out incumbent Helgen in Ward 5
In the closest race in St. Paul, incumbent Dave Thune garnered 1880 votes or 38.13 percent of the vote in the Second Ward, which is not a clear victory.
PiPress: Jim "the only political contender actively embracing" Ranked Voting
An article in this Sunday's Pioneer Press highlighted the work our campaign has been doing to educate voters about how to vote effectively in this Ranked Voting election:
"Jim Ivey wants to be your first choice for St. Paul City Council. But if he can't win that, he'd like to be your second choice, or even your third.
With ranked-choice voting scheduled to debut on Election Day Tuesday in St. Paul, Ivey, a Lowertown resident and Green Party candidate running for the Ward 2 council seat, appears to be the only political contender actively embracing the new process and courting second-place votes.
It's a strategy the other 20 candidates have avoided and some have openly criticized."
Source: Pioneer Press
Listen to audio of Jim and other Ward 2 candidates on KFAI
KFAI show Truth To Tell, hosted by Andy Driscoll and Michelle Alimoradi, invited Jim and the other Ward 2 candidates to discuss some issues. You can download the show as an MP3 file or listen via the web player at the bottom of the TruthToTell page.
The Ward 2 discussion starts about 15 minutes into the program.
United Food and Commercial Workers Endorse Jim
The Ivey for City Council campaign is proud to announce its endorsement by the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1189. “I deeply appreciate this statement of the need in Ward 2 for a representative who will support all workers and uphold our city's Living Wage ordinance,” said Jim Ivey. “It’s wrong to stereotype any broad category of work as mere 'entry-level jobs.' When I spoke with commercial workers demonstrating at workplaces this summer I heard about many working families who rely on good wages and benefits to stay afloat in this economy.” UFCW Local 1189's Bernie Hesse stated, “Jim gets it that policy needs to benefit all, not just a few. As a former executive and a small-business owner, he gets how to run a business and he also gets the needs and concerns of workers.”
Ivey has consistently advocated for a fair economy, and public policies that raise standards for working families. In April, he testified against the proposal to give a special exemption from the Living Wage ordinance to a private development that involved millions in public subsidy. “Granting an exemption to the Living Wage for an already-thriving business in a successful part of town creates a very dangerous precedent against enforcing this important standard in the future,” Ivey said. “Pitting one group of workers against another in the name of short-term jobs is not the approach I will bring to the office.”
“Instead of focusing on questionable subsidy deals for one-time projects, I will boost a broad network of small enterprises and fight for good, living wage jobs for all workers,” said Ivey. He has proposed starting with a citywide “Shop Local Saint Paul” campaign as a practical step to shift more shopping dollars to locally-owned, independent businesses, and consequently create more jobs. Several studies have shown that three times as much of each dollar spent at a locally-owned business will go back into the local economy when compared to large corporate chains.
Contact: Jim Ivey, Candidate, Ward 2, (651) 665-0224
Bernie Hesse, UFCW Local 1189, (651) 216-3827
Jim Ivey Endorsed by TakeAction MN
On Tuesday, Sept 20, TakeAction Minnesota members present for a packed and lively city council screening voted 73% in favor of endorsing Jim Ivey over incumbent Dave Thune. Earning endorsement by such a strong margin demonstrates that Ivey offers Ward 2 the best combination of commitment to putting people first with grassroots engagement, progressive vision, and strong experience. TakeAction MN is a high-profile progressive advocacy group, tackling issues like health care for all, good jobs, and ending racial disparities and discrimination.
Speaking with TakeAction members after the event, Ivey was elated. "This is what we've been working toward for the past year, putting together a progressive vision with a grassroots model of community leadership. TakeAction has led the way on many progressive reforms, and we're excited to have such a strong partner in carrying our message out, both during and after the election."
Jim quoted in PiPress article on Ranked Choice Voting
Jim explains the importance of Ranked Choice Voting to Saint Paul's election this year:
Jim Ivey, former political chair for the Green Party of Minnesota, said ranked-choice voting has boosted his party's chances at the polls. He thinks the Green Party will no longer be looked upon as a potential 'spoiler' in tight races.
"We worked for years to make this happen," said Ivey, a Lowertown resident who is running for city council in Ward 2. "The Green Party was a key supporter. It's strategic for creating a third-party presence in local politics. It gives people a chance to vote for what they really believe in, and know that there's no risk in doing that....It's great for us."
It's been such a draw, in fact, that the party has recruited a slate of local candidates, some of whom have no previous Green Party affiliation but share the party's "progressive" values, Ivey said.
Jim files for office with the GreenSaintPaul team
Jim walking out of the Ramsey County building, freshly registerd along with Johnny Howard (Ward 1) and Bee Kevin Xiong (Ward 6, seeking endorsement)
Jim, Bee Kevin Xiong (Ward 6, seeking endorsement), Johny Howard (Ward 1) and Devin Miller (School Board)
Jim marches in PRIDE
Jim and fellow Green volunteers marched in the June 26 PRIDE parade in Minneapolis, celebrating diversity (one of the Ten Key Values of the Green Party).
Jim, right after the march.
Jim, center, and campaign manager Jesse Mortenson, right (holding banner)
