I’m reposting this poll in light of the Mayor’s recent celebrated performance in front of the Ann Arbor Rowing Community on January 28th. Can I just say, “I told you so?” He’s out of his little Burns Park bubble and running for re-election. He’s glad-handing all over town. What follows is a piece I wrote in October 2009. Below that is a poll posted in October. At the moment, A2 politicos who’ve voted are looking to see the end of Mayor Hieftje’s reign, so cast your own vote. Maybe for you, he’s the only person for job.
In September, free-lancer Judy McGovern caught up with Mayor Hieftje in the course of her coverage of the state legislative candidates. In a piece posted to AnnArborChronicle.com on September 12th, McGovern writes:
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje says he’s been asked whether he was interested in either the Senate race or the chance to run for the House seat being vacated by Warren.
Although he said in 2008 that the mayoral race could be his last, Hieftje seems less ready to leave the job today. “Things are very difficult for local government in Michigan and I feel a responsibility,” he says.
Pursuing the Senate seat would presumably present a challenge for the five-term mayor, who would run up against out-county voters and their views of Ann Arbor liberalism.
Hieftje told McGovern he would decide by the end of October.
In early-October, Ned Staebler threw his hat into the ring for the 53rd (tip o’ the keyboard to David Cahill) District House seat, and held a pricey fundraiser right in the Mayor’s backyard. Many of those whom the Mayor would have had to count on to support any bid he would make for the seat turned up on the guest list for Staebler’s fundraiser. I wrote about Staebler’s posturing in Ives Woods event here.
So, John Hieftje being, well, John Hieftje, the Mayor never announced anything about a run for state office in October. Then again, he didn’t specify by which October he would decide. It’s entirely possible that in October of 2010, Ann Arbor’s Mayor will issue a press release to alert everyone that he’s decided against running for the 53rd District House seat.
As it turns out, Mayor Hieftje did issue a press release of sorts. He mentioned to a local politico on whom he could rely to leak the convo to at least 30,000 other people that Hizzoner is definitely not running for the 53rd District seat but “is considering” another run for the Mayor’s office. To say that John Hieftje “is considering” another run for the Mayor’s office is somewhat like hearing that Representative John Dingell “is considering” another run for the United States House of Representatives. Does either of them really have any other job?
Thus Mayor Hieftje provides A2Politico with some fodder for the Weekend Poll. When he does run again, will you vote for him again (presuming you did the last time), or has Mayor John Hieftje worn out his welcome?
Popularity: 48% [?]
feed://www.a2politico.com/?feed=rss2
If he stops singing Bob Marley songs I’ll think about it.
Comment by Alan Goldsmith — November 8, 2009 @ 7:35 am
Can we vote again if we voted last fall? I don’t want to screw up the validity of the poll.
Comment by David Cahill — February 1, 2010 @ 4:02 pm
If you’re from Chicago, vote early and vote often….Otherwise, if you’ve voted before be content with your past vote.
Comment by A2 Politico — February 1, 2010 @ 4:33 pm
Good day A2
I attended the visit with the mayor on Jan 28. It is funny that you named the event so aptly. This was definitely a mea culpa from the mayor that he underestimated the intensity and politically active nature of the Argo pond users.
He did spend the first 30 minutes explaining the financial dire straits of Ann Arbor, more or less a long-winded “I’ve fixed it or saved it for you all.” I found it ironic how carefully he chose his words!
In the end, he admitted that the council did a poor job of overseeing the debate and information distribution on the merits of maintaining the pond for recreational use. He also stated that Ann Arbor is the single largest contributor to the HRWC. He alluded to being surprised at the push back from pond user. (He actually started to sound like Kwame, who may have coined the approach of I am sorry that I actually was caught, not for doing something wrong). He laid the blame at the feet of city council and the watershed council. How ionic, he did not say which way he would vote to keep or get rid of the dam, what a politician! It would be worth noting that he distanced himself from HRWC for the evening – which is very hard to believe based on his long-term involvement.
Long story short, it was a zero sum game, he managed to refute each statement he made during the 75 minutes of blather. He is obviously running for mayor and needs the support from the community supporting keeping the pond.
Poges
Comment by PogesMahone — February 2, 2010 @ 12:39 pm
Thanks for the update Poges. This issue will impact my family directly, as we live 5 minutes from Argo Pond and are devoted kayakers.
Comment by A2 Politico — February 3, 2010 @ 8:04 am
Back by popular demand, it’s now time for my annual analysis of the upcoming Mayor and City Council elections.
We have Patricia Lesko and Steve Bean seeking to unseat the incumbent Mayor Hieftje.
In the past John Hieftje has faced off against popular City Council members and simply demolished them with little effort. Examples include Marcia Higgins who garnered less than 25% of the vote running against Hieftje as a Republican City Council member several years ago; Hiefje later co-opted her by inviting her into the Democratic Party where she has stayed ever since. Wendy Woods had the brazen audacity to take on “King John” and got only 30% of the vote despite the fact she was a Democratic City Council incumbent; she went on to lose her City Council seat to then-unkown Mike Anglin in what many insiders saw as “punishment” for her ambitious attempt to dethrone the Mayor.
In 2008, something surprising happened. Tom Wall, who had no prior experience in elected office and who put together only token opposition pulled almost 40% of the primary vote against Hieftje even though John’s Ann Arbor was enjoying relative economic prosperity and every single one of his endorsements won; this included the surprising Fifth Ward upset win of Carsten Hohnke against the well-known Vivienne Armentrout, who formerly chaired the County Board of Commissioners.
It was clear that the Burgermeister was starting to have problems.
The first major public manifestation of these problems was when Hieftje political ally Leigh Greden suffered an embarrasing and unexpected primary defeat even though he received a well-publicized endorsement from the mayor and active campaigning from several City Council members in support. Greden’s defeat can directly be attributed to Lesko and her associate Marjorie Winkelman as well as a dedicated group of anti-taxers who were intent on toppling Greden from power.The Greden debacle in 2008 can aptly be described as a product of Lesko’s greatest contibution to Ann Arbor politics. Both of her City Council candidates whose campaigns she managed however lost badly.
Lesko is a progressive Democrat who made a decent showing as a write-in against Sandi Smith in 2008 for a First Ward City Council seat. David Cahill was believed to have played a key role in that candidacy although it is unclear what role, if any, he will play in the Lesko mayoral candidacy.
Lesko will undoubtedly have the massive support of the LGBT community in Metro Detroit. She already is garnering substantial support from other quarters, including Mike Anglin who is emerging as the most respected political figure in Ann Arbor.
There is no doubt that Lesko will run an aggressive and lively campaign.
I believe that on the balance, however, Hizzoner will emerge as the likely victor due to vasly superior political connections and organization. Do not count out an upset, however by Ms. Lesko.
Steve Bean, chairman of the Environmental Commission, a close Hieftje ally, stunned the political community in Ann Arbor by announcing his candidacy as an independent against Hieftje.
Mr. Bean, a Fifth Ward resident, had been encouraged to run against Hohnke for City Council.
There is now speculation that in November, Bean will cause a split of the Democratic leaning electorate and give a potential Republican well-known name – such as Ingrid Sheldon or Jane Lumm a shot at capturing the mayor’s office.
In my view, Bean’s filing as an independent has sadly doomed his candidacy. He is undoubtedly a very capable and respected commissioner and a avaluable member of Ann Arbor city government, but his declaration as an independent is ill-advised.
Some races are already beginning to take shape in the City Council elections.
In the First Ward, Sandi Smith will face a primary challenge from a challenger who emigrated from Sri Lanka; his name I can neither spell nor pronounce. He is an unknown politically, but his name has cropped up as an endorser to fellow First Ward resident Lesko in her mayoral campaign. i expect him to be token opposition against Smith, who has developed vast political and business connections over the years as the owner of Trillium Realty and her service on city boards and commissions over the years and is an icon in the LGBT community.
In the Second Ward, expect the incumbent Tony Derezinski to be unopposed and win in a landslide this November.
In the Third Ward, expect Democrat-in-name-only Christopher “Big Bird” Taylor, the Greden political clone from the Butzel Long law firm that represents numerous developers and builders to be defeated by any challenger who runs against him. Right now nobody has but there is speculation that longtime Ann Arbor Democratic Party activist Letitia Kunselman may mount a run against Taylor. Taylor’s involvement in E-mailgate has alienated many Third Ward residents.
In the Fourth Ward, residents are relieved that a credible challenger will square off against incumbent Margie Teall in the August Democratic primary.
Jack Eaton, a well-respected labor law attorney and civic activist has announced his candidacy against Teall. Eaton is from Dicken Woods, is active in the Alliance of Neighborhoods. and has been a vocal critic of both Marcia Higgins and Margie Teall in the past. Eaton already has substantial support and has been asked to run by numerous Fifth Ward residents.
Margie Teall is the wife of a former Washtenaw Democratic County Party chairman and has been described as “clueless” on City Council. She, however, is pleasant and well-liked among her constituents and has the support of many powerful AADP and county level Democratic party leaders.
Expect Eaton to win a narrow victory this August.
The most crowded race is shaping up in the Fifth Ward where Carsten Hohnke will face stiff opposition from a variety of potential candidates.
Hohnke has drawn fire for his support of the police/court project and his involvement in E-mailgate. He was an unknown until the Powers That Be in the AADP in 2008 threw their support behind him as the replacement for outgoing Chris Easthope, who was elected to a District Court judgeship. Easthope, Hizzoner Hieftje, and the Gang of Seven went to bat against Hohnke where he eked out a win against Vivienne Armentrout. He is the son of Dieter Hohnke.
Allen Licari, a 55-year old local political activist and frequent critic of the court system has puuled petitions but has not decided whether or not to run due to family commitments. He is a real estate broker who is also a multimedia specialist.
Catherine Louise “Lou” Glorie is a close ally of Vivienne Armentrout who has likewise pulled petitions against Hohnke in the Fifth Ward. She has definitively declared her candidacy and established a website in support of her campaign. Like Licari she is active in real estate sales. Her political activism was exemplified by her involvemnt in Ask Voters First. She is expected to draw significant support within the Fifth Ward.
Should Licari decline to run in the Democratic primary, expect Glorie to win a decisive victory against Hohnke as prevailing voter attitudes in the Fifth Ward are that electing Hohnke was a mistake.
John Floyd is expected to be the sole Republican Party entrant in the Fifth Ward City Council race. He has been a frequent and vocal critic of Hohnke. He was beaten soundly by Hohnke in 2008 and will likely lose in 2010, however Fifth Warders have appreciated his vocal activism in challenging Hohnke and others on City Council. Floyd is an accountant for the Lear Corporation and an accomplished violinist.
This is my analysis. Any dissenting opinions?
Comment by Junior — April 10, 2010 @ 1:49 pm
@ 6 – Junior. I will reserve comment on your predictions but offer a few corrections and additions.
You mistakenly refer to First Ward candidate Sumangala (“Sumi”) Kailasapathy as a male. Sumi is a brilliant and charming woman whose story is fascinating. She worked for democracy in Sri Lanka, when such activities could be fatal. She taught political science at Eastern Michigan University for 10 before starting her current career as a CPA. Her web site is – http://www.sumi4aa.org
I think you are mistaken to try to predict whether there will be a second ward challenger so early in the season.
You mistakenly state that “numerous Fifth Ward residents” urged Eaton to run for council. I think you meant to say that 4th ward residents asked me to run. Actually, friends throughout the City have encouraged me to run. Additionally, there may be another candidate in the 4th ward. My web site is http://www.eaton4council.org
Lou Glorie has many experienced allies within the 5th ward. Her web site is a work in progress, but can be found at http://www.vote4lou.com/
John Floyd is that rare Republican who wins the respect of the neighborhoods. His web page, also still in development, is http://www.votejohnfloyd.com/
A point you did not touch on that may turn out to be interesting in this election cycle is endorsements. Having been burnt in the Leigh Greden election, will candidates up the ballot be tempted to stay out of Ann Arbor this time around? Time will tell.
Comment by Jack Eaton — April 11, 2010 @ 1:00 am
@6: No one encouraged me to run against Carsten. Nor, as someone similarly speculated previously, was I upset at not being ‘chosen’ by the mayor to run for that seat in 2008.
Comment by Steve Bean — April 11, 2010 @ 12:25 pm
There definitely needs to be a change in the Fourth Ward.
I appreciate that, unlike last year, a Democrat will challenge the Fourth Ward incumbent City Council member in the August primary.
I would also encourage a Republican, maybe Jim Hood, to run as “insurance” to better the chance that Teall would be voted out of office in the event Jack does not beat her in August.
Junior, I think you meant to say that Easthope, the Mayor and Gang of Seven were for, not against Hohnke, in 2008. I agree A2 would be far better off if Armentrout had won.
I and many others feel that unseating the Gang of Seven will be the paramount goal this year as this is the group that has led A2 down the wrong path.
Jack, you indicated there may be a third candidate in the Fourth Ward race. Would that be a Democrat or Republican? My fear is that it could dilute the anti-Teall vote in the Democratic primary.
Steve, I can remember on ArborUpdate there were references to people wanting you to run for Fifth Ward City Council against Hohnke. How do expect to win this fall with no party backing when Hatim El-hady ran a vigorous and popular cammpaign in the Fourth Ward and lost to the much-maligned Marcia Higgins?
Comment by John Dory — April 11, 2010 @ 2:32 pm
John, if you think that whether I run as an independent or a partisan makes any difference in my ability to serve the community, you’re even more confused than Junior. The election is for the community and it’s their choice.
Imaginings and speculation presented as analysis are ego driven and of no value to anyone, not even the presenter. Arguing against the reality that I don’t belong to a party is similarly distracting. It’s only April. Will you be any more clear minded by November?
Can you and Junior speak for yourselves without pretending to know the minds of others? What do you want in your mayor? What do you like about each of the candidates? Beyond my own focus on thinking clearly, the opportunity for making me a better potential mayor lies with voters like you, not with “backers” who would be focused on convincing others that I’m what they want.
Comment by Steve Bean — April 11, 2010 @ 9:58 pm
I agree with Junior that a popular Republican candidate like Jane Lumm could win in November and would fully support such a candidacy.
Jane has the charisma and connections to win a three-way race between Hieftje, Bean and herself.
Steve Bean’s candidacy could make a Republican nominee a viable possibility for victory in the general election.
Comment by Mark Koroi — April 12, 2010 @ 1:33 am
“Jack, you indicated there may be a third candidate in the Fourth Ward race. Would that be a Democrat or Republican?”
@ John Dory – Three residents have pulled petitions to run for council from the fourth ward – Margie Teall, me and Jeremy Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy is a local attorney and a Democrat.
I have posted the city clerk’s list of potential candidates who have pulled petitions as of today at this link:
http://files.me.com/jackeaton/ciziox
Comment by Jack Eaton — April 16, 2010 @ 10:44 am
Jeremy Kennedy the last time I checked worked as a labor law attorney at Miller Canfield representing employer interests – a strange place for a Democrat. But then again, that is exactly the specialty Leigh Greden practiced at the same law firm as Kennedy.
Margie Teall was a close political ally of Greden. Could Greden have recruited Kennedy to run in the same primary as Teall and Eaton so as to damage Eaton’s chances at beating Teall by effectively diluting the anti-Teall vote?
In the absence of a denial from Kennedy, I am guessing that very scenario occurred.
It is also apparently happening in the Fifth Ward race also.
Comment by Kerry Delaney — April 22, 2010 @ 7:53 pm
I have noticed that the campaign committee for Fourth Ward City Council candidate filed an amendedStatement of Organization with the County Clerk several weeks ago that, in relevant part, changed the committee treasurer from Karen Sidney to Mark Cousens.
Is there any reason why Karen Sidney left the Eaton campaign committee? I noticed she is still serving as treasurer of the Lou Glorie committee in the Fifth Ward.
I noticed in prior years, Margie Teall’s campaign committee has received contributions from prominent local residents, including Lynn Rivers, Barbara McQuade, and Vivienne Armentrout. I am assuming a significant degree of support she receives is due to her husband’s political connections (Graham Teall is a former Washtenaw Demcratic Party chairman who himself cannot run for public office due to Hatch Act strictures). I also have noticed that Margie Teall’s employment and educational backrounds are largely ignored on her vast campaign website.
Comment by Mark Koroi — June 14, 2010 @ 10:52 pm
Mark, I changed campaign treasurers for my convenience. I work for Mark Cousens and our law office serves as campaign treasurer for other Democratic Party candidates. It is simply easier for me to work with someone in my own office.
Karen Sidney is my friend. She provides me with important insight and information about issues of mutual concern to us. She has endorsed my campaign and is listed as a supporter on my campaign web site:
http://www.eaton4council.org – under the “Support” tab at the top of the page.
Margie Teall and I have worked together on some issues and disagreed with each other on others. I do hope that we can keep the discussion of the 4th Ward primary election focussed on issues rather than the personal details of the candidates. It would be great if we could all avoid unsupported assumptions when discussing the campaign. The issues at hand are just too important to allow ourselves to get sidetracked by inconsequential matters.
Comment by Jack Eaton — June 15, 2010 @ 2:04 pm
Thanks for your input, Jack.
I would also like to remind everyone that the Democratic Fourth Ward City Council candidates are slated to appear at Dicken Elementary on June 29th at 7:00 p.m. for moderated discussion sponsored by the Fourth Ward chairpersons.
The Fourth Ward race is heating up with the Mayor and County Clerk endorsing Teall. Jack Eaton currently has over 700 hits on his campaign home page.
The primitive Lou Glorie campaign website has finally added web pages so it is no longer a one-page site, however the webmaster mistakenly placed several links to one page and, most importantly, Mrs. Glorie has failed to list any endorsements as other City Council challengers have.
Hard to win a City Council primary without any endorsements, Lou.
Comment by Junior — June 19, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
Re Post#16:
The Dicken Elementary debate between Jack Eaton and Margie Teall commenced at about 7:15 p.m. and was completed shortly after 8:30 this evening. About 55 persons attended. A number of prominent local residents appeared including County Commissioner Leah Gunn, Councilperson Marcia Higgins, state representative candidate Ned Staebler, Ann Arbor Historical Commissioner Diane Giannola, mayoral candidate Patricia Lesko, county commission candidate Luanne Bullington, former Fourth Ward council candidate Hatim Elhady and Linda Lombardini; Mrs. Teall’s husband was present, also. The ubiquitous Dave Askins of the Ann Arbor Chronicle covered the debate and additional personnel were present to videotape the event.
Tom Johnson and Greg Hebert acted as co-masters of ceremony.
Moderators propounded questions submitted to them by Fourth Ward residents.
In his opening statement, Jack Eaton emphasized that he wanted to discussion of issues facing the city and that he had no disagreements the incumbent on a personal level. Mrs. Teall emphasized the fact that the U.S. was in its worst finsncial crisis since the Great Depression and the Ann Arbor was doing comparatively well.
When asked about what action she most regretted when serving as a City Council member, Mrs. Teall responded that it was the e-mail controversy. In rebuttal, Jack Eaton said that her public apology was a positive step in addressing that controversy.
The most intense discussion involved the condition of Ann Arbor roads. It was averred that $19 million sat in city funds unused that could be used for needed road repair. Jack Eaton also cited the lack of a “shovel ready” plan by the city that precluded access to federal stimulus funds to pay for much-needed repair or replacement of the Stadium Bridge.
Teall and Eaton each recounted activities they performed to benefit the Fourth Ward.
Single stream recycling was addressed as a topic by Mrs. Teall.
On the balance, I would opine that Eaton was probably the more articulate of the two candidates, but both were well-versed in a broad range of topics of local interest. The audience was likely evenly split between Teall, Eaton supporters and undecided citizens.
Comment by Mark Koroi — June 29, 2010 @ 11:17 pm