High stakes lead to high drama in Maplewood

When Kevin Matheny moved from Minneapolis to Maplewood, he expected suburban City Council elections to be a snooze. "I was not expecting prime-time network drama," he said.

Instead, he's found campaign literature in his mailbox, some featuring a hooded Grim Reaper and some accusing candidate John Nephew of marketing "violent and dark games to young people." When he called the sponsoring organization printed on the flier, he discovered it was a hoax.

Meanwhile, City Council incumbent Rebecca Cave this fall was fined $1,000 by the state for implying that she was endorsed by the Maplewood Fire Department. She plans to appeal the ruling.

And the Maplewood Voters Coalition, a group formed last spring that has been critical of the current council, has learned that its name now has been registered at the Minnesota secretary of state's office by a former Roseville mayor.

The drama that shaped Maplewood council elections two years ago shows no sign of mellowing this year.

"Where did all this negativity come from?" asked Matheny, a Nephew supporter who says he's otherwise not a political activist.

"Seems like we've gone from a quiet suburb to infighting and disagreements to downright dirty tricks."

The tension in Maplewood reflects the shifting dynamics of suburban politics, said David Schultz, a public policy professor at Hamline University and a former consultant to the city. In the past, first-ring suburbs generally voted DFL, he said, and outer-ring suburbs went Republican. But as opposing parties gain strength in these communities, the races get more competitive -- and can be nasty, he said.

"While this is a trend we're seeing around Minnesota, Maplewood is more intense and extreme," Schultz said, noting that suburbs such as Eagan, Richfield and Brooklyn Center are also seeing political shifts.

On Tuesday, Maplewood voters will elect two of the city's four council members. The incumbent candidates are Cave, a business consultant, and contractor Will Rossbach. They face political newcomers DelRay Rokke, a financial analyst for 3M, and Nephew, who owns a games business.

Nephew and Rossbach have linked their campaigns, saying they want to bring "common sense" and openness to local government. Cave, who is a member of the three-person majority on the council, responds that city government already is open and smart.

With council decisions typically decided on a 3-2 vote, each seat is critical. And the campaign environment underscores that. And for the record, all of the candidates say they are running clean campaigns and know nothing of several recent campaign shenanigans.

Rossbach and Nephew say they have received postcards with photographs of Saddam Hussein and the words "Your Hero" written below. That's not to mention the ones associating them with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Cave, meanwhile, says 100 of her lawn signs have been stolen from supporters' houses. Rokke, however, says he hasn't experienced anything unusual.

Observers, however, say there have been numerous odd events.

All in the family: The flier accusing Nephew of marketing dark games to children refers readers to his company's website so readers can "judge for themselves." But the Web link immediately zaps readers to the front page of a ruling by the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), which ruled in September that there was probable cause that Cave misrepresented an endorsement by "Maplewood Fire."

Cave was actually endorsed by the Maplewood Firefighters Association, which is a nonprofit corporation founded in 2005 by Maplewood pay-per-call fighters. Her husband, George Cave, is its secretary, the ruling said. Both Cave and the association were ordered to pay $1,000 fines.

Cave called the accusation "trumped-up charges" and intends to appeal the decision.

Mysterious letters: Some voters received a campaign letter encouraging them to take down their lawn signs for Nephew and Rossbach. The sponsoring agency for the ad was listed as the "Maplewood Voters Coalition ... Bob Schmidt Chair."

But Schmidt says he knows nothing about this flier. He has asked the Maplewood police to investigate the matter. Public Safety Manager Bob Dollerschell said the department, for now, views the issue as a civil matter but is "holding on to it."

Dueling names: The Maplewood Voters Coalition was registered with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board in April by Schmidt, whose son was fired during a city reorganization and who initiated the complaint against Cave that led to the September fines.

That same month former Roseville Mayor John Kysylyczyn registered the name on behalf of an unrelated client as the first step toward creating a nonprofit organization, he said. Kysylyczyn said he could not reveal the client's name or whether the client lives in Maplewood.

Whether these strategies will actually sway voters remains to be seen. But Schultz notes that in smaller communities with few council members, influencing even 30 or 40 voters can make a difference in a race. And that, in turn, could shift the entire dynamic of a city.

"Politics," he said, "is all about the logic of moving small numbers."

Jean Hopfensperger • 651-298-1553

Jean Hopfensperger • hopfen@startribune.com