In 2019 Bradley Schaeppi won the Ward 3 election by 3 votes out of 1753 votes cast. A close race! This year, I lost by 4 votes out of 3359 votes cast. Somehow, even closer! Ward 3 is bananas! (Full results) Here are some takeaways.

Every vote counts!
Your vote matters, so vote in every election. EVERY ONE!

Binary outcomes are tough
Most of our lives are lived in a comfortable gray area - outcomes are generally positive or negative, not entirely black or white. I lost by the narrowest of margins, and while I definitely don’t feel like a loser, there is no consolation prize. I’ll have the sads briefly, but “positive energy for Minnetonka” isn’t just a slogan, it’s literally who and what I am.

Rank your ballot!
Unfortunately, the Ranked Choice Voting repeal campaign led many people to reject the entire premise of our voting system, and they disenfranchised themselves in the process. Of the 989 people who voted for Ryan Ness, 631 of them made no 2nd choice. Those voters could have extended Paula’s victory or flipped the election to me. Using RCV, there is absolutely no benefit to ranking your preferred candidate more than once or not ranking any candidates beyond your first choice. It’s like voting in a primary election and sitting out the general election if your candidate lost in the primary. As I said above, your vote matters, so rank it!

Yes, there was a recount. No, it didn’t change the outcome.
This is why we have recounts - to be absolutely sure that close election results are accurate. It was open to the public, and the result was the same. The machines are extremely accurate. Data from thousands of other recounts affirms this. We have a robust and reliable voting system, don’t take it for granted.

I have no regrets
I had a blast campaigning and putting myself out into the community. I ran a positive campaign focused on connecting with people and building consensus around the big issues. With 3 candidates running competitive campaigns, we nearly DOUBLED the voter turnout in our ward election. If you believe that democracy derives its power from the people, then this was 2x as democratic as our last election.

I love you guys
At first, it was scary putting myself out there, approaching 2148 doors to interrupt strangers. Whether you simply gave me an encouraging smile, said “good luck”, took a yard sign or donated, that was the fuel that propelled me forward, and my life is better because of it. 

Paula is great
I know Paula. She is an incredibly hard worker that will read the 500+ page packet before every city council meeting. She’ll study the complex issues, ask informed and direct questions to city staff, and make decisions in the best interests of the entire community. She’ll be available and responsive to you. She will make a great city council member!