Keeping Tabs—Local To Watch In 2014: Ward 2 Council Member Sally Hart Petersen

Over the past 190 years, only two women have served as mayor of Ann Arbor. Can Sally P. be #3?

Sally Hart Petersen ran a clever campaign to defeat two-term incumbent Tony Derezinski, a former state legislator. Mostly though, Sally Petersen won because she convinced voters that a relatively unknown political candidate was the better choice to represent them than the incumbent with decades of legislative connections, clout and experience. She pitched voters a political perfect game and Derezinski got benched. To win the 2014 Democratic primary election for mayor, Petersen will need to convince voters that Ann Arbor is ready for a woman in that office.

There are no fewer than four current Ann Arbor City Council members who will try to convince voters they are the best choice to lead the city after John Hieftje’s tenure ends. In addition, there are, possibly, two other people who will throw their hats into the political ring for the Mayor’s office, as well. Can Sally Petersen run for mayor and win? While her chances are excellent, there remains the fact that Ann Arbor’s 10,000-15,000 regular August primary election voters are older, whiter and relatively conservative. As she’ll be up against a field of primarily male candidates, Petersen will face candidates who have landed endorsements from local name brand Dems, including state-level legislators, and even Rep. John D. Dingell, Jr. Despite these obvious challenges, Sally Hart Petersen is a local to watch in 2014.