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Outgoing District 2 Councilor Renee Van Nett, a single mother with two Grade 10 daughters, said she was first displaced four years ago for one main reason.
“I got involved in politics first because no one listened to indigenous children and their needs, especially where I lived, and where health disparities are real,” she said. “I needed my children and others to have access to a better life and better access to City Hall, which seemed really strange to someone like me.”
Van Nett is employed as Impact Director for Head of the Lakes United Way and will face a challenge from former City Councilor Howie Hanson, the same man she knocked down last time.
Hanson, an online editor, previously declined an invitation from the News Tribune to participate in the forum. He narrowly lost to Van Nett in 2007, who won around 52% of the vote and is ready for a rematch.
Howie hanson
The Duluth 2nd District race does not have a titular candidate as Joel Sipress has chosen not to run for another term.
The race pits Mike Mayou, who works in admissions and marketing for the University of Minnesota Duluth, against Dave Zbaracki, who describes himself as “primarily a stay-at-home dad” and part-time ski trainer who is also involved in selling ski equipment. ‘outdoor equipment. equipment. Zbaracki and Mayou both grew up in Duluth and are graduates of East High School and the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Mayou said he has been following the city government closely, attending meetings regularly, since an unsuccessful bid for the council office a few years ago. “I keep digging into the numbers and learning about the city’s budgeting processes and a lot of other things like that. And I think it’s really important that we have advisers who are really passionate about the issues. and ready to listen and learn and also ready to engage too.
Zbaracki also made a previous unsuccessful bid for city council in 2017. He wants to focus on improving the city’s streets and sidewalks to make them more accessible, while also providing more funding for public safety functions. Zbaracki also aims to foster more economic development, saying, “I think tourism is great. I think it’s great, and we have a lot of amenities because of it in the town of Duluth that we wouldn’t have otherwise. But many of these jobs aren’t necessarily long-term family sustenance jobs. “
Van Nett said his top priorities are public safety, housing and economic development. Van Nett does not claim to be an expert in these areas, but said she has always turned to knowledgeable community members for advice and guidance.
“This job as a city councilor really makes you grow, if you allow it,” she said.
Mayou said increasing the city’s affordable housing supply was high on his list of priorities. He said he would strive to develop “an economy that works for all of us, ensuring that everyone can afford to live here, that everyone, no matter where you work, has access to resources “.
“Environmental justice is also an important component of my campaign, really making sure that we are tackling the climate crisis at the local level. And there are many steps we can take to reduce many of our public services,” Mayou said. .
Despite speculation that Duluth could be a place of refuge, Zbaracki said, “One thing I want to stress is that Duluth is not immune to the climate crisis.
“Obviously we’ve seen with one of the hottest summers on record and wildfires and drought conditions and things like that, that Duluth is not immune to the climate crisis.” , he said, suggesting the city consider adding more electric vehicles to its fleet. .
Van Nett said people sometimes mistakenly project his motives, when it comes to issues such as climate change.
“As an Aboriginal person, people tend to assume that an Aboriginal person is always an activist. I am not an activist. I create policies and laws and I work for the long term, ”she said. However, Van Nett said the city has been working hard with its support to reduce its carbon emissions, improve its stormwater infrastructure and reduce lead exposure in the city’s drinking water system.
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