A general election was held in Minneapolis on November 3, 2009. Minneapolis's mayor was up for election as well as all the seats on the City Council, the two elected seats on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, and all the seats on the Park and Recreation Board. This was the first election held in Minneapolis that used ranked choice voting, a collective term for instant-runoff voting and the single transferable vote.
Because city voters approved a city charter change by referendum in 2006 to use a ranked choice voting system, Minneapolis did not hold a primary election on September 8, the 2009 date for primaries in Minnesota.
There was a lawsuit in court to prevent the voting change; it lost by summary judgment in the first court, was appealed directly to the Minnesota Supreme Court, where it also lost. One person active in the lawsuit filed as a candidate but did not campaign; allegedly this was to give him legal standing to sue after the election.
Mayor
Incumbent Democratic–Farmer–Labor Mayor R. T. Rybak announced on January 13, 2009, that he would be running for re-election. 11 candidates were on the ballot.
Previously mentioned as possible candidates for Mayor were Bob Miller, the director of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), Minneapolis City Council members Gary Schiff and Ralph Remington, Minneapolis Park Board President Tom Nordyke, former City Council president Jackie Cherryhomes, and Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin; none of them ended up running.
City Council
All 13 seats on the Minneapolis City Council were up for election.
Board of Estimate and Taxation The two elected members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation were up for election. Incumbent Carol Becker was re-elected in the first round with 52.1% of first-choice votes. As no other candidate achieved the threshold to be elected the second member, several rounds of vote transfers were necessary. David Wheeler was elected in the fifth round after the remaining candidates were defeated.
Members were elected citywide via the single transferable vote.
Party endorsements PartyCandidateMinneapolis DFLCarol BeckerFifth Congressional District Independence Party of MinnesotaMichael MartensMinneapolis City Republican CommitteeMichael Martens
Results Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5% FinalCarol Becker52.1316,72810,697.556010,697.556010,697.556010,697.556033.64David Wheeler19.036,1077,239.69107,490.05758,107.42708,107.427025.27Phil Willkie9.192,9503,527.16053,732.40804,098.43604,098.436012.77DeWayne Townsend7.242,3233,231.46003,364.49753,674.07403,674.074011.45Michael Martens8.662,7783,120.83553,273.4310James Elliot Swartwood3.049751,160.6575Write-ins0.70225241.5830Exhausted ballots2867.05653528.05005508.50705508.507017.17Threshold10,696Valid votes32,086Undervotes13,882Turnout19.6445,968Registered voters234,028Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
Park and Recreation Board The nine members of the Park and Recreation Board were up for election. Three members were elected from one citywide, at-large district via the single transferable vote and six from single-member districts via instant-runoff voting.
Party endorsements PartyAt-largeDistrict 1District 3District 4District 6Minneapolis DFLMary Merrill AndersonLiz WielinskiScott VreelandAnita TabbBrad BournJohn ErwinTom NordykeFifth District Green PartyAnnie YoungFifth Congressional District Independence Party of MinnesotaDave WahlstedtMinneapolis City Republican CommitteeDave Wahlstedt
Results
At-large Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6% FinalBob Fine22.078,0898,1938,3638,7089,3299,32925.45Annie Young18.946,9417,0627,4907,7418,3718,37122.84John Erwin17.396,3766,5146,6356,8417,7337,73321.10Mary Merrill Anderson14.925,3945,4705,9136,0966,8106,81018.58Tom Nordyke10.143,7163,7873,8854,118David Wahlstedt7.662,8072,8882,991Nancy Bernard5.522,0242,125John Butler3.041,114Write-ins0.53194Exhausted ballots6161,3783,1514,4124,41212.04Threshold9,164Valid votes36,655Undervotes9,313Turnout19.6445,968Registered voters234,028Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 1 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Liz Wielinski74.204,335Bernie Kunza15.56909John Malone9.67565Write-ins0.5633Threshold2,922Valid votes5,842Undervotes1,065Turnout6,907Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 2 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Jon Olson56.352,874Michael Guest42.802,183Write-ins0.8443Threshold2,551Valid votes5,100Undervotes844Turnout5,944Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 3 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Scott Vreeland72.353,430Mike Wendorf26.171,239Write-ins1.4867Threshold2,369Valid votes4,736Undervotes1,424Turnout6,160Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 4 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Anita Tabb97.455,012Write-ins2.55131Threshold2,572Valid votes5,143Undervotes2,246Turnout7,389Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 5 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2% FinalCarol Kummer37.772,9643,62046.13Jason Stone35.522,7883,27141.68Steve Barland19.641,541Dan Peterson4.70369McLain Looney1.92151Write-ins0.4535Exhausted ballots95712.19Threshold3,925Valid votes7,848Undervotes1,534Turnout9,382Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
District 6 Candidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2% FinalBrad Bourn48.164,0234,30051.47Meg Forney36.393,0403,50641.97Steven Jecha11.71978Geneva Hanvik3.32277Write-ins0.4336Exhausted ballots5486.56Threshold4,178Valid votes8,354Undervotes1,832Turnout10,186Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services
See also 2009 Minneapolis mayoral election
2009 Minneapolis City Council election
References