Bob Smith was in attendance at the recent SD65 Caucus, when St. Paul Mayor, Melvin Carter dropped by for a visit.

For more on the SD65 Caucus, See the Pioneer Press article.

As candidates try to woo caucus-goers, St. Paul mayor drops in on GOP meeting
By FREDERICK MELO | fmelo@pioneerpress.com and CALLIE SCHMIDT | cschmidt@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: February 6, 2018 at 9:28 pm | UPDATED: February 7, 2018 at 2:17 pm

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, a lifelong DFLer, paid an impromptu visit to the Republican precinct caucuses Tuesday night at the Benjamin E. Mays IB World School on Concordia Avenue.

“I’m your mayor, too,” said Carter, addressing the 35 GOP activists assembled in the cafeteria. “When it snows, the snowplows know no party.”Mitch Berg, chair of the Senate District 65 Republicans, was impressed.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter talks to St. Paul Republicans during the GOP caucus Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (Frederick Melo / Pioneer Press)St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter talks to St. Paul Republicans during the GOP caucus Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (Frederick Melo / Pioneer Press)
“In 20 years of doing this, that’s a first,” Berg told the room.

Precinct caucuses unfolded across Ramsey County on Tuesday, offering political diehards — as well as some first-time participants — a chance to meet candidates, vie to become delegates to the political endorsing conventions and participate in a straw poll on the governor’s race.

In St. Paul, the caucuses also offered an opportunity to shake hands with newly elected leaders such as Carter, St. Paul’s first black mayor and one of its youngest.

St. Paul DFL Chair Libby Kantner said the attendee numbers at Capitol Hill Magnet School on Concordia Avenue was not immediately available, but turnout was about half that of the 2016 presidential season. Some precinct rooms were at or even well above capacity, while others contained as few as two people.

National politics was a common theme.

“I wondered if there would be a resolution for trying to get rid of (President) Donald Trump for obstruction of justice,” said Iglehart Avenue resident Sharon McBrayer, standing outside Mrs. Waskosky’s over-capacity home room.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III speaks to caucus goers at the St. Paul DFL Caucus at Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb, 6, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III speaks to caucus goers at the St. Paul DFL Caucus at Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb, 6, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press) At Capitol Hill, party resolutions and chatter about the governor’s race overshadowed two of the most competitive local races in St. Paul.

In August, a special election will decide a new Ward 4 city council member to replace Russ Stark, who is giving up his seat this month to work in Carter’s administration as the mayor’s environmental policy adviser. To date, the only declared candidate is former immigration attorney Amy Ireland, though several others are still flirting with the possibility of a run.

Ramsey County Commissioners Toni Carter and Rafael Ortega have announced they are seeking re-election in November. Also seeking re-election is Commissioner Janice Rettman, who has drawn two female challengers on her political left — Trista Matas Castillo and Jennifer Nguyen Moore.

Rettman, who has served on the county board since 1997, represents District 3, a diverse area that includes some of the poorest corners of St. Paul. It spans the North End, Frogtown, Hamline-Midway, Roseville, Falcon Heights, Payne-Phalen and South Como.

Ramsey County Commissioner Janice Rettman greets voters at Roseville Area High School on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, during DFL precinct caucuses. Rettman, who has held her seat since 1997, faces two declared DFL challengers — Trista Matas Castillo and Jennifer Nguyen. The county’s District 3 endorsing convention will likely be held in early April. (Callie Schmidt / Pioneer Press)
Ramsey County Commissioner Janice Rettman greets voters at Roseville Area High School on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, during DFL precinct caucuses. Rettman, who has held her seat since 1997, faces two declared DFL challengers — Trista Matas Castillo and Jennifer Nguyen. The county’s District 3 endorsing convention will likely be held in early April. (Callie Schmidt / Pioneer Press)
On Tuesday, she stuck exclusively to precinct caucuses at Roseville Area High School, the northern half of her district.

“I try to be inclusive and listen to the people I represent,” Rettman told a reporter. “I give it my all, and I’ve got a track record. What sets me apart is that I have that personal touch and commitment to making sure people have a voice. I stand up for affordable housing throughout the county so people have a choice of where to live. Transportation follows that. I stand for economic prosperity and environmental justice.”

Flanked by a dozen or more campaign volunteers in blue T-shirts, Matas Castillo spent an hour at Capitol Hill before heading to Roseville.

“I think people are ready for change, for solutions to the bigger problems in our community and the lack of investment,” said Castillo, a military veteran who is currently a legislative aide to county Commissioner Blake Huffman.

“I’m a consumer of county services and I have a long history of good leadership in fighting for people,” she said. “I have a special-ed son who is developmentally delayed and severely autistic. Our county services are not actually set up for people to use them. I’ve been a community organizer, and now I want to turn my energy and goals back to our county.”

“I didn’t expect to run this year,” Nguyen Moore said, “but (I chose to) as a result of seeing how our policies are not created equally for people of color. I want to make sure there’s representation, not only for me as a woman of color but also as a resident of the North End. We’re the most marginalized part of the city.”

Jennifer Nguyen Moore, a candidate for Ramsey County commissioner, speaks to caucus goers at the St. Paul DFL Caucus at Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb, 6, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Jennifer Nguyen Moore, a candidate for Ramsey County commissioner, speaks to caucus goers at the St. Paul DFL Caucus at Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb, 6, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Tags: MN governor race Politics

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