Outgoing Mayor Betsy Hodges is holding a fundraiser on Sunday to pay down her campaign debt, and she's getting help from an unlikely source: mayor-elect Jacob Frey.
Hodges loaned her campaign $98,700 during the mayoral race, as she tried to fend off challenges from Frey and three other strong candidates.
On Election Day, she came in third in ranked-choice voting, and she is holding a farewell fundraiser Sunday at a private residence downtown. In an e-mail Friday, Frey passed the invitation along and asked his supporters to attend.
"Mayor Hodges has a long history of serving the city of Minneapolis and I hope you'll consider attending a farewell fundraiser in her honor this weekend as we thank her for her work," Frey wrote.
Hodges and four outgoing council members had a send-off at City Hall on Friday. Council Member Lisa Bender praised Hodges for being true to her principles even though "people have so many opinions about how you are supposed to lead as a woman." Bender thanked Hodges for her personal kindness and read a resolution honoring her.
Javier Morillo, the president of SEIU Local 26 and longtime friend of Hodges, said she brought "seriousness about budgets" to the mayor's office and "permanently changed the way in which we talk about the work of the city, by putting equity at the center."
Hodges was not the only candidate to loan her campaign money. Tom Hoch loaned his campaign $462,000, state Rep. Ray Dehn loaned his campaign $15,000, and Frey loaned his campaign $10,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports, filed Nov. 1.
"Unity is critically important," Frey said. "This is part of mending wounds, and recognizing an excellent public servant in Mayor Hodges."
