Betsy Hodges names former DFL exec Andrew O'Leary as campaign manager for mayoral run

Lisa Miller

Betsy at a Hodges for Mayor event at Cafeteria in Uptown.

Minutes after R.T. Rybak announced he wouldn't seek a fourth term as mayor, City Council Member Betsy Hodges threw her hat firmly in the ring to replace him.

Now, nearly a month later, Hodges is arming up: yesterday, she announced that Andrew O'Leary, former executive director of the Minnesota DFL party, will be helming her campaign.

See Also:
- R.T. Rybak won't seek fourth term as Minneapolis mayor [UPDATE]
- Betsy Hodges files to run for mayor as she and Gary Schiff await Rybak's decision
- Gary Schiff files for mayoral run, kicks off with a fundraiser at Dangerous Man Brewing Co

O'Leary ran the DFLers from 2005-2011, and on his watch, the party elected both Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken to the U.S. Senate, and Mark Dayton became the first DFL governor in 20 years. During the 2012 election cycle, O'Leary jumped onto a national stage, serving as Western Political Director for the Democratic National Committee.

Hodges and O'Leary met in 2005, and worked together on several DFL campaigns over the years. In November, the two sat down "to talk about my vision for the city," Hodges says, citing a shared commitment to closing "the economic and education gaps that divide" Minneapolis.

O'Leary is going to be running Hodges's campaign full-time by the end of the month, but is "already providing input to how we are proceeding," says Hodges. "I'm very excited to be working with Andy. He's got a great skill set as we move forward."

Hodges's announcement comes as the field of prospective candidates grows increasingly crowded. At least nine public figures -- including Gary Schiff and Don Samuels, Hodges's fellow council members -- are exploring a bid, and more names are on the rumor mill.

Out of all of these maybe-mayors, though, Hodges has most definitively declared that she's running. And remember, this election we're talking about? It's not until November.