Hodges Picks Up 4 Endorsements for Mayoral Campaign

As Betsy Hodges prepared to officially announce her run for mayor Tuesday night, some stepped forward to show their support for her campaign.

Hodges, a Minneapolis City Council member, picked up a handful of endorsements Monday from the DFL African-American Caucus, activist Ben Goldfarb, former school board chair Tom Madden, and author Laura Waterman Wittstoc.

According to a campaign press release, the following is what each endorser had to say about Hodges:

Goldfarb:

"I've worked on progressive causes with Betsy Hodges for nearly 15 years and have watched with awe as she's stood up every single day to make Minneapolis a better place. ... She shares my conviction that politics is about the improvement of peoples' lives and she always puts regular people ahead of the powerful. She has my deepest respect and she has my vote."

Madden:

"Betsy Hodges is more committed than anyone I know to making sure that every person in every neighborhood in Minneapolis gets the opportunity to succeed. She knows that giving everyone a chance is the way we build a great city for the 21st Century. I can hardly wait to see what she does for Minneapolis as our next Mayor."

Waterman Wittstock:

“Betsy’s leadership is just one reason she is best suited to lead our city. She brings people together to find common strengths that help the whole city. She invites others to bring their ideas and takes the time to research the best options for moving forward. That is the type of leader we need in the mayor’s office."

The DFL African-American Caucus:

“We believe they show a strong desire to ensure accountability for the use of city resources, are committed to a sustainable community infrastructure in African American neighborhoods by addressing several disparities, including the economy, housing and transportation. They also showed strong support for the appointment of qualified African American residents to city administrative positions and commissions as well as sharing a strong commitment to ensuring the authority of the Civil Rights Department is elevated and not marginalized.”

Hodges will make her campaign official with an announcement event on April 2, 2013, at 6 p.m., at Honey, 205 E. Hennepin Ave.

Others running for mayor include Republican Cam Winton (a Fulton resident), former Hennepin County commissioner Mark Andrew, former city council president Jackie Cherryhomes, and city council members Gary Schiff and Don Samuels.

Related articles:

• SW Minneapolis' City Council Rep Files For Mayor
• Politico: Hodges Part of National Wave of State and Local Women Candidates
• Betsy Hodges to Make It Official Tuesday: She's Running for Mayor
• Republican Jumps Into Minneapolis Mayoral Race

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