Ness: Hanson's Early Mayoral Bid Has 'Impact On Me And My Family'

DULUTH - The run for the next mayor of Duluth has already heated up -- more than a year before Election Day.Mayor Don Ness was a bit blind-sided Wednesday with the announcement that Duluth City Councilor Howie Hanson is running to be mayor.  That's because Ness hadn't even announced if he's running for a third term."If there's an unfortunate part about the timing of the announcement, is that it starts this campaign season 14 months before the election date, and it also preempts the decision and our decision. Again, he, Howie, certainly has every right to make this announcement, but it does have an impact on me and my family and the decision that we're preparing to make," said Mayor Don Ness.While Hanson said making his announcement this early may have been a lapse of judgment, he stand by his desire to serve Duluth."Can I help us get to the next level? Can I find new revenue streams that can help make Duluth more sustainable? Because the path that we're under of taxation and fees is not a model for success and it's not sustainable," Hanson told FOX 21 Wednesday.Ness said he'll make a final decision on whether he will run another term coming up in the next few weeks.