Earlier this election cycle, we sat down with Ward 7 candidate Mark Globus and Ward 11 candidate Rebecca Donley for interviews on why they were running for office. On August 15, neither of them filed for candidacy with the City of Minneapolis. We reached out for them on comment. Here are their statements sent to Southwest Voices, unedited.

Mark Globus

After a great deal of reflection - I have decided to suspend my campaign and place my full support behind Scott Graham for Minneapolis City Council in Ward-7.  The need to spend time with family, especially with a newborn baby at home, also influenced my decision to suspend my candidacy. I have known Scott [Graham] for several years.

However, over the last few months, I have had the unique opportunity to interact closely with Scott in a number of different settings. He has continually proven to me that he has the demeanor, intellect, leadership style and work ethic to be an outstanding member of the Minneapolis City Council. I have lived in Ward-7 for over twenty-five years and now more than ever we must elect someone who can effectively represent the entire ward. Scott is an individual with great common sense and he works hard and consistently does his homework. The fact that our political beliefs line up very closely gives me further assurance that he merits your vote. Because there is so much at stake – we must elect an outstanding public servant like Scott to represent our ward and the entire City of Minneapolis.

Scott Graham is going to be that type of leader. I am proud to place my support fully behind him. This upcoming election for city council has significant implications and we have an excellent choice in him. On November 7th there is only one logical choice for city council that will effectively represent all of us in Ward-7 and that choice is Scott Graham.

Rebecca Donley

My hope with a run for city council was to uplift conversations and new possibilities, especially around how we address survivors of abuse who are often most impacted by inequities in the systems and structures in our city. I decided a few weeks after the Ward 11 DFL convention on May 20 that running for city council in Ward 11 was not the best platform for me to uplift conversations about creating communities of care and safety that center those most impacted by harm.

At the Ward 11 DFL convention, attendees voted to remove the candidate question and answer section from the agenda. This sent a clear message that conversation and curiosity would not be part of our ward's decision making process at our convention. While I know the Ward 11 DFL convention was made up of a small subsection of our neighbors, and most of these attendees were already supporters of Emily Koski, the lack of curiosity and conversation about the issues impacting our city was disheartening.

Mariame Kaba says, "Hope is a discipline." I believe this to mean that hope is something that is our responsibility to work at creating, both for ourselves and in our communities. So while I'm no longer running, I will continue to work for a better city for survivors and their families by building community connections and relationships. I also now know more about what does and doesn't happen behind the scenes in our municipal campaigns, and can take these lessons into account when working to advocate for survivors and their families at the city level. While elections and voting are one part of change work, I am even more convinced that the lasting and tangible change we need to repair the harms of systemic inequities will come from the ground up, rooted in relationship and community.