Unopposed Hansen wins mayor’s nod

The Mayor of Vancouver gave Councilor Bart Hansen his stamp of approval today, endorsing him for the November council race.

Not that Tim Leavitt could have given anyone else the nod — as of now, no one else has publicly said they’re in it to win it.

These seven seats don’t come open too terribly often – and many on the council have years of experience and name recognition behind them. You’d think that maybe this November would be the time to take on a green-behind-the-ears councilor… especially as this political body is lining up to take some serious blows as it tackles how to cut up to $12 million in city services this summer and fall.

But there’s still six weeks or so left till the June 11 filing deadline, and who knows what some of those who also applied to fill Leavitt’s seat have in mind.

Hansen, 35, got the edge on Lee Rafferty, a former small-business owner and downtown activist, winning the council appointment 4-2. Retired math teacher Anne McEnerny-Ogle, who was defeated in November’s general election by incumbent Councilor Jeanne Harris, and small business owner Eric Olmsted were the other two finalists for the gig.

Whoever wins in November has to turn around and campaign all over again in 2011. The city charter says that appointees have to run to retain their seat in the first general election after their appointment, and then again when the previous holder’s term was to have expired.

As a full time manager at Clark Public Utilities and the father of two youngsters, Hansen’s got a busy couple of years ahead.

Andrea Damewood