*** Petition will stay live/on-line through Friday, January 6th ***

The Lakeville City Council should appoint Richard Henderson to the seat opening up in January 2023. By signing this petition, you are sending a strong message that elected city leaders should respect the will of the voters and should be non-partisan.  

You can learn more about Richard Henderson and the appointment process at https://www.voterichardhenderson.com/

In the November election, Lakeville voters chose two new council members. With 12,277 votes, Richard Henderson came in a very strong third place, finishing 1.65 percent (in total votes cast) behind the second of the two incumbents who won re-election.

The voters were aware that another council member, Luke Hellier, was running unopposed for mayor, which meant his seat would be open in January. Henderson’s vote count was far ahead of the fourth and fifth candidates in the November election. The voters clearly indicated that Henderson was their choice for that third seat.

Instead of respecting this message from the voters, the council decided to call for applicants so they could fill Hellier’s seat with someone of their choosing. Ten people, including Henderson, applied. Despite Henderson’s strong appointment application, election performance and competitive background, he was not even chosen to be interviewed.

On December 22nd the City Council members unanimously bumped Henderson out of the application process for appointment.

Hellier and one of the two incumbent city council members ran with the support of a political party apparatus. One of the 3 candidates selected for interview has been in a local leadership position with a political party that has endorsed and actively supported the campaigns of city council members. Another candidate has been in high-ranking paid positions with two statewide office holders from that same political party. 

City council, and school board races, are meant to be non-partisan. Henderson is not a member of any political party. He believes fervently in openness, transparency and accountability to our voters, not to a political party. Henderson will work with anyone, regardless of their party affiliation.

In seeking your votes, Henderson knocked on thousands of doors, invested in hundreds of hours of conversation with fellow citizens asking them what they want from their city government; and promising to be a voice for those who feel they are not being heard. The fact that Henderson came so close in November to winning outright over an incumbent, with no special interest funding, is a testament to the faith that over 12,000 Lakeville voters put in Henderson.

By signing this petition supporting Richard Henderson's appointment to City Council, you show support for the principle that the will of the voters should be respected; and that our local city government should be non-partisan.

*** Petition will stay live/on-line through Friday, January 6th ***