Details about this story

• Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Date: November 07, 2007
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: Tim Nelson , MaryJo Webster
• Topics: Elections , Campaign Finance
• Data Types: Local Data
• Description/Excerpt: On paper, the Ward 1 City Council election result looked like an upset for incumbent Debbie Montgomery on Tuesday. The first woman elected to the council's seat traditionally held by the black community, Montgomery had deep roots in the neighborhood and a war chest like no one in city history. She'd nearly doubled the city record for campaign fundraising by a council candidate. Backed by the police union and St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, shored up by advisers to former mayors Norm Coleman and Randy Kelly, she'd run one of the highest-caliber council campaigns in city history. But it played out in the wrong district. Montgomery in 2003 had won the seat representing some of the most liberal areas of the city, including a long swath of well-to-do Summit Hill. After taking office, though, she broke with her more liberal colleagues on issues like the smoking ban, tax increases and an audit of the city's minority contracting practices. And although they voted for Montgomery in 2003, the relatively well-to-do and overwhelmingly white constituents in the southern precincts along Summit Avenue began lining up behind Carter - constituents like public radio personality Garrison Keillor.