Wednesday, November 9, 2011
What lessons can we take away from this year's elections?
The ballots have been counted, and we’ve shaken the sleep from our eyes after waiting for last night’s election results to come in. Now that we can look at the results in the morning light, what lessons can we learn? None of the five City Council candidates have served on the City Council before, but two candidates ran away with the race—with the second-place finisher getting more than twice as many votes as the third-place finisher. What did Molly Cummings and Jason Gadd have in common? They both served on the Park Board, and Cummings—the largest vote-getter, by far—also served on the Zoning and Planning Commission. By contrast, Norman Teigen put forward opinions similar to Cummings and Gadd. The outgoing Teigen campaigned tirelessly—…
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The race had a tight battle for the fourth seat.
Results from one precinct are still outstanding, but both School Board incumbents appear to have won their bids for re-election this year. School Board Directors Wendy Donovan and Irma McIntosh Coleman were joined in victory by Steven Adams and Kristine Newcomer. "I think it's great. I'm honored to be re-elected," Donovan said. "I'm just thankful that I'm known in the community. I've been out there for years." Said Coleman: "I think that the message the community is saying to us is 'The board is doing a good job.'" Coleman had a minor fight on her hands until the last few precincts reported, although she now holds a 142-vote lead over last-place finisher Tina Soumaré—the only candidate who did not win a place on the board. But it was the …
Molly Cummings led the way with 609 votes, followed by 484 from Park Board member Jason Gadd.
Two members with experience serving on city boards and commissions came away with seats on the City Council. Zoning and Planning member Molly Cummings led the way with 609 votes, followed by 484 from Park Board member Jason Gadd. "I think it's really important to have background in the community and how it runs," Cummings said. "There are so many ways for the citizens to get involved." Gadd sees his and Cummings' wins as a sign that residents are happy with the city's course. He noted that neither was pushing for big changes—preferring instead continuation of the city's progress, a focus on quality of life and attention to keeping property taxes manageable. But like Cummings, he also thinks his time on the Park Board helped. "You really …
The incumbent defeated Garold Healy 703-235.
Mayor Gene Maxwell will be back for another term—winning a resounding 703 votes of 940 cast, or nearly 75 percent of the total. "I think the people in Hopkins, they're satisfied where the city's going," said Maxwell, who's been mayor since 2000 and served on the council between 1993 and 2000. "It just shows a stable city." Maxwell is accompanied in victory by City Council candidates who came up through the city ranks—Zoning and Planning and Park Board—and should share a similar vision for the city. Although two longtime members are leaving the council after opting not to run, Maxwell expects the new council and city staff to continue moving forward. "We'll really be on the same page when we're up and running," he said. Mayoral challenger …
Voting runs through 8 p.m.
City Hall was one of a handful of buildings bustling early Tuesday morning as Hopkins election judges arrived at the polls at 6 a.m. in order to have everything ready when the doors open at 7 a.m. Hopkins residents have three elections to participate in this year: School Board, City Council and mayor. (Click on the PDF to the right to view a sample ballot.) Voting runs through 8 p.m. Visit Hopkins Patch's 2011 Voter Guide for all your election coverage—including full details on where to vote. Check back later tonight to find out the results as they come in or sign up for breaking news alerts to have the results sent right to you. Just click "Get the Patch Newsletter" in the top right-hand corner of this page. *** Hopkins voter …
Friday, November 4, 2011
All the details you need to make an informed choice.
Voting information Candidate bios Council candidates video interviews School Board candidates video interviews Coverage of the candidate forums Miscellaneous stories Check Hopkins Patch's election page regularly for the latest election coverage. Click on the PDF to the right to view a sample ballot.
Full details for Nov. 8
Polling Places Check out the map above to find out your precinct or visit the State of Minnesota Polling Place Finder. Hopkins polling places are located at: You must vote at the polling place for your precinct on Election Day. All polling locations above are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those in line prior to 8 p.m. will have an opportunity to vote regardless of how long it takes for everyone in line to vote. Those arriving in line after 8 p.m. will not be allowed to vote. Voter registration Pre-election registration ended Oct. 18. Those who aren’t registered can register at the polling location for their precinct. One of the following forms of identification is required: If you previously registered, you must register again if: All …
Garold Healy urges present and future council members to do the same.
Mayoral challenger Garold Healy has pledged to forgo his salary if elected and urges present and future council members to do the same. “That’s the way it should be really,” he told Patch on Thursday. “It’s a part-time job. People give their time to other events. This is no different.” Healy made the promise in a news release he sent out Wednesday night. In it, he notes how the recession has hurt every level of the economy and that people are suffering from unemployment and pay cuts. Government officials should lead the way in sharing the burden during hard times, he said. Hopkins’ mayor makes $6,000 per year. City Council members make $4,600. Pay for both positions hasn’t changed since 1998. Those salaries are lower than any Hennepin …
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Friday, October 28, 2011
The poster has been hanging in City Hall for nearly 10 years.
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Friday, October 28, 2011
(Editor's note: Mayoral candidate Garold Healy submitted the following as a letter to the editor. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, e-mail james.warden@patch.com or post your comments at the bottom of the relevant story.) Mr. Warden: Recalling our interview with took place after the LWV (League of Women Voters) Forum at Hopkins City Hall, when asked about community service, I stated that I volunteer at Methodist Hospital, VA Hospital and Special Olympics. I also told you of a poster for the Hopkins Fire Department donated by my wife and myself, which has hung in the City Hall lobby for almost ten years. It saddens me greatly to report to you that after you published those facts, someone was so disturbed as to remove our…
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Thursday, October 20, 2011
Candidates agreed on many items at Wednesday's event.
Voters watching Wednesday’s School Board candidate forum learned a lot about how the candidates would approach their jobs if elected. There was just one problem: Those approaches sounded awfully similar to one another. This doesn’t necessarily leave voters without a choice. The candidates bring a diverse group of backgrounds and experience to the table that will surely shape how they’d address issues before the board—and they emphasized those at key parts of the forum. Here’s a look at how some of the issues shook out at the forum. This issue had the potential to reveal divisions between the candidates—just listen to Kris Newcomer’s emphasis on pay-for-performance and comparisons to the business world in her video interview with Patch. …
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Garold Healy
11:35 am on Thursday, November 10, 2011
9 November 2011 I would like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to everyone who voted in our recent election, as well as my gratitude to all of you who worked and cast your votes on my behalf. As I have stated on many occasions, my goal was to raise the level of local political conversation and increase voter participation. Contrary to feeling discouraged in being “trounced” and … more ›