Bobby Joe Champion

Minneapolis City Council debates are generally polite, drowsy affairs. But Ward Five has a reputation for boisterous, even unruly, political discourse. That might explain why more than 100 people showed up at the Capri Theater on Tuesday night to watch five city council candidates debate the issues.

The sub-zero temperatures didn’t scare away North Side residents. Roughly 50 folks gathered Tuesday night at the Minneapolis Urban League to meet with their state legislative delegation and learn the details of Minnesota’s looming $4.8 billion budget deficit. Freshmen Reps. Bobby Joe Champion (pictured) and Jeff Hayden (the only two African Americans in the legislature) were on hand, along with veteran state Sen. Linda Higgins. “The reality is that people are really, really frightened,” Hayden said at the start of the discussion.

Al Franken will comfortably advance from today’s primary election to take on Norm Coleman in the U. S. Senate race. With more than 80 percent of the results in, Franken is carrying 67 percent of the vote in the seven-candidate field. His most credible challenger, attorney Priscilla Lord Faris, is currently garnering support from 29 percent of voters.