UPDATE: Larry Palm is no longer in the running. Looks like we just got Marsha Rummel against Mark Clear now.
On Tuesday the City Council will be electing its next president and president pro temp. Ald. Lauren Cnare seems to have the pro temp position locked up. There doesn't seem to be an opposing candidate, and Cnare is popular enough among her colleagues to have 11 votes easily.
The big question is the Council president. Current president pro temp Mark Clear is definitely running, as is Ald. Marsha Rummel. It looks as if Ald. Larry Palm will be a candidate as well, although that is not sure.
Clear is the closest thing to an incumbent in the race. As the pro temp, he touts the experience he's gained from his time working with Council President Tim Bruer.
Rummel and Palm are running against that. Both have criticized the way the current leadership has been operating. However, in the past few days they have been "talking," meaning there is a chance Palm might drop out and support Rummel in order to unite the anti-Clear votes on the Council.
Keep in mind: Although those who oppose Clear might prefer one candidate, who, through personal relationships and politics, can get 11 votes, a crowded field does not necessarily destroy their cause. The president needs to get a majority of the Council, which means the Council will keep voting until one candidate gets 11 votes. After one round of voting, the weakest candidate will probably drop out and his/her supporters will choose another candidate.
Something to look out for: Will leadership battles force the Council to develop more clearly defined voting blocs? From what old timers have told me, it used to be tradition on the Council for the leadership to rotate. Presidents usually only stayed for one term. Hence, the power struggle was not as intense. It was not until the Bruer/Clear team ran last year that this changed. Does somebody remember otherwise?
