The most expensive Minneapolis City Council race could tip the balance of power

It’s the most expensive race for a Minneapolis City Council seat this year, maybe ever, and it could tip the balance of power in City Hall: the Ward 7 contest between incumbent Katie Cashman and challenger Elizabeth Shaffer.

Cashman, a first-term incumbent, lost the DFL endorsement in May to Shaffer, a member of the Park and Recreation Board, and Shaffer has more than doubled Cashman’s fundraising efforts in a ward that includes some of the city’s wealthiest enclaves.

Shaffer has made her case by casting Cashman as a member of the democratic socialist-aligned left flank of the party — too progressive for the comparatively moderate ward. Cashman says her record of two years in office shows she’s paved a more nuanced lane, straddling the ideological factions on the council while delivering prudent policy for her constituents.

Depending on how the council’s other 12 races shake out Tuesday, the Ward 7 contest could determine which coalition has control for the next two years.

Political action committees have stepped into Minneapolis politics in a powerful way this year: The Frey-aligned All of Minneapolis and We Love Minneapolis back Shaffer, while the more progressive Minneapolis for the Many has endorsed Cashman.

Both candidates acknowledge the huge receipts in ways favorable to their campaigns: Shaffer said her record-busting $248,378 in contributions is proof of the desire among her supporters for a change; Cashman, who has raised $119,438, says it’s proof that she’s fighting against powerful forces.

Ward 7 was longtime City Council Member Lisa Goodman’s seat covering a portion of downtown and Uptown along with Loring Park, Kenwood, Lowry Hill, Bryn Mawr, East Isles, Cedar-Isles-Dean, West Maka Ska and a sliver of Linden Hills.

Cashman, who calls Minneapolis “a union city,” has the endorsement of several unions and City Council President Elliott Payne, along with elected officials including Ilhan Omar and Keith Ellison.