Politics Posts

Know Your Candidates: 2022 County Sheriff Race

As promised following the initial coverage of the St. Louis County Sheriff race in the primary election, the embedded PDF below contains in-depth interviews with the two remaining candidates, Jason Lukovsky and Gordon Ramsay, about issues that are important to LEAN Duluth. The Law Enforcement Accountability Network is a volunteer-run data-analysis group and public communications resource for organizers working for police accountability.

Climate>Duluth: Kat Soares of Deep Adaptation Forum

Climate>Duluth host Tone Lanzillo interviews Kat Soares of Deep Adaptation Forum, which offers free events and online platforms for people who are seeking and building supportive communities to face the reality of the climate crisis.

Duluth 2022 General Election Sample Ballot

The Minnesota State General Election will be held on Nov. 8. Above is the front side of the ballot for Duluthians on the western side of the city. Those on the eastern side will see candidates for Minnesota State Representative for District 8B instead of 8A. Duluthians living in the center of the city will also see the St. Louis County Commissioner race for District 1 on their ballots. A few Duluthians on the western edge of the city will also vote on the Minnesota House of Representatives District 3B. And the backside of everyone’s ballot has numerous judicial races.

Climate>Duluth: Mark Hertsgaard of Covering Climate Now

Climate>Duluth host Tone Lanzillo interviews Mark Hertsgaard of Covering Climate Now about how the organization collaborates with journalists and newsrooms to produce more informed and urgent climate stories, to make climate a part of every beat in the newsroom — from politics and weather to business and culture — and to drive a public conversation that creates an engaged public.   

Recorded at Duluth Public Access Community Television’s studio in City Hall, September 2022.

Climate>Duluth: Annette Olson of Climate Steps

Climate>Duluth host Tone Lanzillo interviews Annette Olson of Climate Steps about the personal, political and social steps to fight climate change. 

Recorded at Duluth Public Access Community Television’s studio in City Hall, September 2022.

Duluth’s Building For Women featured in abortion-access article

“For nearly three decades, long before the fall of Roe v. Wade, the blond brick Building for Women in Duluth, Minnesota, has been a destination for patients traveling from other states to get an abortion. They have come from places where abortions were legal but clinics were scarce and from states where restrictive laws have narrowed windows of opportunity.”

Duluth women got breakfast in bed after 1952 voting gimmick

Duluth Mayor George W. Johnson reads a newspaper while he samples some of his own cooking before bringing the breakfast tray up to his wife. This United Press Photo comes with a recommended headline: “The (breakfast) tables are turned.” (Photo via Historic Images Outlet)

The women of Duluth were feasting comfortably in their pajamas 70 years ago. Or, at least, that’s what they were entitled to. A competition between the men and women of the city to increase voter registration was won by the women — 27,204 to 27,123. Mayor George W. Johnson proclaimed that husbands must serve their wives breakfast in bed for seven days or take them out to dinner for the same length of time. In many cases, however, the men either reneged on the bet or supplied a subpar meal, according to news accounts at the time.

Duluth 2022 Primary Election Sample Ballot

Above is what the partisan side of the primary ballot looks like for Duluthians on the western side of the city. Those on the eastern side will see candidates for Minnesota State Representative for District 8B instead of 8A. The dividing line of the district is at First Avenue East and also runs north/south along Kenwood Avenue.

Anna D. Oleson, first female major-party nominee for U.S. Senate

The photo in this clipping from the Duluth Herald is dated July 10, 1922, and appears in the July 14 issue of the paper. That summer — one hundred years ago — Anna Dickie Oleson of Cloquet was campaigning to represent Minnesota in the United States Senate.

Duluth 2022 Primary Election Primer

The filing period for Minnesota state and county offices closed on May 31. Below is a tally of candidates who filed for races pertinent to Duluth-area ballots. Names that appear in red are hyperlinked to the candidates’ websites.

Sean Kelly – “The Wreck of the Hotel Chris Swanson”

Pennsylvania-based parody musician Sean Kelly has a new song that is focused on Two Harbors Mayor Chris Swanson, who faces a recall election if he does not resign by May 31. Swanson has been accused of having conflicts of interest between his business pursuits and his role as mayor.

“The Peace Pipeline” film wins best documentary short

Shot in Duluth, the film won Best Documentary Short at the 2021 North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival.

Richardson Bros. Podcast: A Robot Legal Analyst on Rittenhouse Verdict

Richardson Bros. House Swarmed by Cops

One of the hazards of living in a house full of props is getting cops called on your casket.

Duluth General Election Results 2021

With all precincts reporting, the results are …

Duluth At-large City Councilor
Top two candidates are elected
Terese Tomanek | 7,959
Azrin Awal | 6,882
Joe Macor | 6,131
Timothy L. Meyer | 1,302
Write in | 108