Second Figure Jumps Into Council Race

Friday, a second person jumped into the race to succeed City Council Member Betsy Hodges (Ward 13).

In an email to reporters, Linden Hills resident and community activist Linea Palmisano announced she was running for Hodges' seat. With Mayor RT Rybak's Thursday announcement that he would not run for a fourth term, Hodges confirmed she was planning to run for mayor in the city's 2013 elections.

So far, only Palmisano and Nicollet-East Harriet Business Association leader Matt Perry have announced they would stand for the Ward 13 seat. Perry is an East Harriet resident.

Most recently, Palmisano has been at the forefront of a group trying to get bicycle lanes installed in Linden Hills and Fulton. Neither neighborhood currently has any bike lanes.

In her announcement email, Palmisano highlighted her work as a former head of the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council (LHiNC), current board member for the Linden Hills Farmers Market, former assistant track coach at Southwest High School, and founder of NAVIGATE immigrant college access program. Palmisano currently works for UnitedHealth Group.

"The work I have done within the community over the years has taught me what it means to create sustainable opportunities and a quality of life that works for all of us," Palmisano  wrote. “I am running because I have a proven track record of working collaboratively to get things done. Last summer, I brought together business associations, private residents, LHiNC, and Council Member Hodges' office to secure the first bike route developments in Ward 13.”