Coleman adds to political team, but for which campaign?

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is running for a second term. Few doubt that he’ll win easily. In a town dominated by Democrats, his only serious challenger is Republican-backed Eva Ng, who’s never held elected office.

But that hasn’t stopped Coleman from stockpiling a conspicuous array of political talent for the campaign. In February he hired John Stiles away from the DFL party to run his campaign, and tapped a former staffer from Al Franken’s U.S. Senate campaign to raise money.

Now he’s added a trio of consultants with substantial political bona fides: Mandy Grunwald, Diane Feldman and Jon-David Schlough. The former has the most impressive resume, having gained prominence working on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. Feldman’s a pollster with two decades of experience, while Schlough most recently oversaw Franken’s online marketing.

Which raises the obvious question: Why does Coleman need so much help to win a contest that will almost certainly prove a cakewalk? Because he’s also running for governor.