Former Duluth Mayor Don Ness Endorses Larson For Reelection; Larson, Reinert Respond

DULUTH, Minn. — Former two-term Duluth Mayor Don Ness publicly endorsed Emily Larson for a third term Monday.

Ness posted on social media saying Duluth is lucky to have “two good candidates” to choose from Nov. 7.   He called Larson’s opponent, Roger Reinert, a friend but said Larson has a better understanding of the city’s operational realities and knows how to build “deep and meaningful relationships.”

And while Ness pointed out “different styles and different priorities and different ways of approaching the job” than Larson, he believes she is “truly a remarkable person” for the job.

To read Ness’ full statement, scroll down.

Meanwhile, Mayor Larson and Roger Reinert released statements in reaction to Ness’ endorsement.

Larson’s statement reads:

“My vision has never wavered nor has my commitment to make Duluth a healthy, sustainable and inclusive community for all neighbors, across all neighborhoods,” Larson said. “Don and I share a deep love for Duluth. We both understand what it takes to be successful in this work, what’s on the line for our community’s future and why this election truly matters. I value his belief and support to continue the progress we’re making as a community on housing, economic revitalization, business development, climate and quality of life.” 

Larson’s campaign also said, “Voters will gain a better understanding of Ness’ endorsement and why he thinks she has the qualities to be an effective mayor this week as Larson’s campaign rolls out a series of videos featuring a one-on-one in-depth conversation between Ness and Larson. They’ll be viewable starting Wednesday on Larson’s social media platforms.”

Reinert’s statement reads:

“Don and I had the opportunity to work together as Councilors, and also when he was Mayor and I was a Senator. I respect and appreciate his past elected service. Without Don, I would not be in local politics.

Whomever Duluth elects will have to represent all Duluthians, get us all rowing in the same direction, and help us move forward together as a community. That’s why I intentionally chose not to seek personal, or elected official, endorsements.

Duluthians are also smart, engaged, and informed. I fundamentally believe they don’t need others telling them how to vote, or for whom. That’s the work of the voter, and they are up for that work.”

Don Ness’ full statement reads:

“A few thoughts on the mayor’s race and why Laura and I support Emily Larson’s re-election.

First, let’s point out that we’re lucky to have two good candidates and I’m confident saying that reasonable people can come to different conclusions on who to support. Democracy is about choices and it’s important to have an honest conversation about the differences between the candidates. Roger is a friend – I respect him and his supporters. That said, Emily has our vote.

I think Emily has been effective in the face of extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I’ve paid close attention to her remarkable administrative skill.

The most important job of a mayor is to lead a team, to communicate through differences, and to make tough, and often unpopular, decisions necessary to look out for the interests of the entire community – not just the powerful and well-connected. The most important work done by a mayor is behind the scenes, in relationship building, and implementing solutions. I’ve known hundreds of mayors over the years and I can say with confidence that Emily is in the top tier in terms of the effectiveness of her leadership style.

One of the most significant contrasts in this campaign is the accountability to operational realities. As mayor, you need to own the challenge of balancing massive competing interests in running a city. There are no easy solutions. As the incumbent, you are constantly wrestling with these impossible trade-offs.

A challenger doesn’t need to carry that same burden. But they should – because that’s the job they’re running for. And if you over-promise in a campaign, it leads to voter cynicism when you fail to deliver.

In politics, we call it magical thinking. As the challenger, you can make all sorts of promises about spending on services and giving big raises to employees and lowering taxes all at the same time! They sell the idea that you can do all of the popular things and the money will magically appear. But it’s not reality, it’s not good policy and it’s not sustainable.

Now, overall, I think Roger is running a good and balanced campaign. But there is too much magical thinking on how to pay for everything he’s promising. I am particularly concerned that Roger is suggesting using more debt and spending down our reserves to support near-term spending. It took us a decade of painful decisions to build those reserves and pay down our massive liabilities – we can’t afford to go back.

To be clear, Emily and I have different styles and different priorities and different ways of approaching the job. We’ve had to work through these differences and disagreements while maintaining a friendship and mutual respect. Our support of Emily isn’t based on ideology or some sort of perfect alignment…

We’re supporting Emily because she is truly a remarkable person. She is the sort of person that people look to in a time of crisis or trauma. She has an open and generous spirit. She builds deep and meaningful relationships.

Those are the same qualities that we want from our leaders. Sure a mayor needs to give speeches, and make statements, and show up on our screens – it’s part of the gig. But the qualities that make for the most effective mayors are the qualities and characteristics that show up in the day-to-day work. Those are the reasons why Laura and I are proud to support Emily in this race.”