Local Election Results Favor Staying the Course
Roughly 1 in 3 of the registered voters in Bloomington and Edina, and fewer than 1 in 10 in Eden Prairie turned out to vote in this off-year election. In Edina and Eden Prairie, the election focused on school board races without the draw of contested city offices or a school tax referendum. While Bloomington added mayor and city council elections to contested school board seats, its election managed to attract just a 30.9% turn-out.
The results largely pointed to a preference to keep things as they are rather than support a change in direction. The Bloomington and Eden Prairie school board races did not focus on any issues of significant note or any major differentiators. Those contests appeared to come down to preferences for individual candidates.
In Bloomington, two incumbent city councilors retained their seats and a current city councilman succeeded the retiring mayor. They defeated challengers who sought greater transparency in city council operations and a greater willingness of the city government to listen and understand citizen concerns, particularly involving planning and ordinances.
In Edina, voters were asked if they agreed that the school system was meeting their expectations, or if school policies need to re-emphasize education excellence. The candidates that prevailed were the ones who felt that the Edina schools were doing just fine. Those candidates also benefitted from the support of the Edina teachers’ union and the local DFL party.
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