Current Duluth City Councilors Throw Support to Don Ness
"Over the past several years I have had the honor to call Don Ness a fellow Councilor as well as friend. He has one of the most exciting visions for the future of this community and has worked hard over his eight years a Councilor to see his vision of Duluth as the premier medium-sized community in the Midwest become a reality. Through these efforts he has demonstrated time and time again a leadership style that is inclusive; a style that brings people together to propose and implement solutions for the complex problems facing our community. Don and his family are heavily invested in Duluth. I encourage others to join me and invest in him and his vision for Duluth by casting a vote for Don Ness."
- Roger Reinert
"Don Ness has my full endorsement for Mayor. During his tenure on the council he has shown great leadership with a style that emphasizes cooperation and problem solving. He is great at coming up with creative solutions to the difficult challenges facing the city and he has provided the direction necessary to follow through with these initiatives. These rare qualities are needed now more than ever. Please join me in supporting Don Ness for mayor."
- Russ Stewart
"The council and the mayor, regardless of the issue, need to work as a team to move Duluth forward. Councilor Ness has provided that leadership like no other mayoral candidate. Although we haven't always agreed on the issues, Don has earned my utmost respect for being honest, sincere, displaying true integrity and doing the things he says he will. I stand firmly behind Don as our next mayor and look forward to working with him."
- Jim Stauber
David B. Wheeler Blog: Why I Support Don Ness for Mayor
August 28, 2007
Over 15 years ago, I was the advisor to two fine Duluth high school students who represented the Harbortown Club in the Rotary International Model United Nations gathering in Winnipeg Canada.
Don Ness was then a senior at Duluth Central. I was impressed by Don’s keen mind and his ability to get along with anyone. He was a fine ambassador as a high school student for our city and country.
In my foray into elected politics Don was there, including my mayoral race of 12 years ago. I have observed him as a college student leader and as a staff person at First Witness Child Abuse Center. In recent years it has been a privilege to watch Don mature into a real leader, who seeks to do the right thing (not only the popular thing) and build consensus among a variety of interests and groups.
In the world in which we live, it is vital to treat each other with respect and affirm that as citizens and a community we belong to each other. It is important to seek solutions beyond narrow self-interest, and to focus on economic development, a quality of life, and healthy civic engagement. These are qualities that Don Ness has demonstrated are at the center of his being.
Don is the type of leader will that move Duluth in important new directions, with integrity, respect, and energy.
Don Ness has my support for Mayor. He deserves your vote on September 11th.
Note: David B. Wheeler is a former Duluth city councilor.
John Heino Blog: Don Ness Gets My Vote
August 27, 2007
This year’s election is very different for me because of opportunities I’ve had since the last election to learn and grow through the Blandin Community Leadership Program and the Knight Creative Communities Initiative. By getting to know community leaders outside the business sector, I’ve come to realize we have much more in common than we have to argue about. The critical question is whether we choose to spend our time and energy on confrontation over differences or collaboration to achieve our common goals.
So, when I look at the mayoral primary and the council races this year, I’m not looking at who will best respresent my narrow self-interest, but who will best shift the city’s focus from what divides us to what ought to unite us to build a better future for Duluth. We are fortunate to have 12 citizens willing to serve as mayor, but as I survey the field, Don Ness clearly stands out as the leader who has proven his ability to bring together people with different viewpoints to work on tough issues. The Retiree Health Care Task Force chaired by Arend Sandbulte is just one example.
If you followed the various Ness campaign events and noted the sponsors, you saw that successful people from all sectors are supporting Don. They are people with integrity, a positive attitude about Duluth and the willingness to get involved in the campaign and help in advisory roles or other ways if Don is elected mayor. I know it sounds self-serving because I’m one of Don’s supporters, but it’s not about me — it’s about the scores of talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help Don put Duluth on a more constructive track to build on our strengths. People who vote for Don in the primary are not just voting for a candidate, they’re voting for constructive leadership and a large, diverse team of involved Duluthians who are anxious to help Don succeed as mayor.
Of course anything can happen in a 12-way race. “Every vote counts” may be a cliche, but that is the reality in this primary. Don (or whichever candidate you may support) is not going to be on the ballot in November if supporters don’t vote September 11. Naturally, I hope Ness supporters have the best turnout of all, but I honestly encourage every eligible voter to go to the polls September 11. There is no question that Duluth could go a number of different ways depending on how this election turns out. If you believe that putting aside our differences to work together offers the best chance of success, I hope you’ll cast your vote for Don Ness.
