Election Day: Minn.'s 2 largest cities vote on mayors
November 03, 2009 21:53 PM
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Voting methods were as much at stake as the Twin Cities' mayoral posts Tuesday as incumbent Democrats R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Chris Coleman of St. Paul sought new four-year terms.
In Minneapolis, it was the first test of instant runoff voting, where people were able to pick more than one candidate through a ranking system. St. Paul's voters were determining whether their city would adopt the same setup for future municipal elections.
Republican-endorsed businesswoman Eva Ng stood between Coleman and a second term. Coleman touted successes in business development and his approach to budget balancing as reasons he deserves to stay. Ng said rising property taxes under Coleman were a reason to go a new direction.
Because there are no primaries under instant runoff voting, Rybak was up against 10 challengers in his campaign for a third term.
Rybak seldom engaged his opponents during the campaign, and they accused him of using his office as a stepping stone for a probable run for governor next year.
"It's not going to be easy if I run for governor, at all," Rybak said during a debate Monday on Minnesota Public Radio. But he said he has proven he can juggle high-profile assignments, citing his work in Minnesota on behalf of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
His commitment to the city weighed on voters like Betty Crossman, a 66-year-old retiree who voted at a northeast Minneapolis park.
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