Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has put her reelection bid in the hands of campaign manager Jorge Contreras, a Democratic organizer who got his start during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

Hodges announced in a press release Monday that Contreras would lead her 2017 campaign, two weeks after announcing her intent to run at a south Minneapolis event attended by about 40 supporters.

"Jorge Contreras is the right person to lead my campaign. He is a determined, battle-tested leader with a solid track record of success and a solid commitment to progressive values," Hodges said in the release. "I look forward to working with him to build a winning grassroots campaign in every corner of our city."

Contreras has worked on nine campaigns in ten states, including Sen. Al Franken's 2014 reelection campaign. Most recently, he worked as field director for Angie Craig's unsuccessful 2016 congressional bid against Republican Jason Lewis.

Hodges, who was first elected mayor in 2013, already faces competition for the seat. Civil rights activist Nekima Levy-Pounds announced her candidacy in November, and State Rep. Raymond Dehn announced in late December.

Minneapolis Council Member Jacob Frey is also expected to challenge Hodges, and is scheduled to make an announcement Jan. 3.