Two Democrats and a Republican run in St. Paul’s Ward 5

Originally appeared in Twin Cities Daily Planet

Incumbent DFL council member Lee Helgen, fellow DFLer David Haas and Republican Warren Anderson are all running in Ward 5 in St. Paul.

Neither Helgen nor Haas is running with the DFL endorsement; the two agreed before the nominating convention not to seek the party’s endorsement, eliminating the perceived possibility of a locked endorsement.

  Ward 5 encompasses a good portion of the Como Park area, from Lexington Avenue on the west as well as the Rice Street corridor. Larpenteur Avenue is the northern boundary and the Burlington Northern tracks form the southern boundary.

Helgen is nearing the end of his first term on the city council and boasts a list of endorsements that include the AFSCME and SEIU unions, St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council, Firefighters Local 21, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.

If Helgen retains his seat, he plans to focus on three areas of concern: community investment, safe neighborhoods and a healthy economic environment. “Throughout the area there is definitely a need to respond to crime,” Helgen said.

“The ward is very diverse,” he continued, “so each neighborhood has a different set of issues: In Como Park, there’s a real commitment to maintain the quality of the housing stock, making sure that Como Park continues to be accessible without being too intrusive. We’re dealing with the Rice Street commercial corridor, trying to improve revitalization along the corridor and dealing with a variety of vacant buildings and properties. We also have issues with unsupervised young people causing problems. On the east side [of the ward] we have challenges like deep poverty.”

When asked why he should be re-elected to the city council, Helgen replied, “I think in this race I’ve got the right mix of experience, background and a record of accomplishment. I hope that people look at that and see that. I’ve been on the council now; I’ve learned how the city works, how the budget gets put together. We are actually seeing the results of taking a very proactive agenda in support of the neighborhoods.”

more insideFinancial planner David Haas is running with the endorsements of the St. Paul Police Federation, St. Paul Retired Police Association and the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce PAC.

Haas’ signature issues are: