Choi takes steps to run for Ramsey County Attorney

Posted at 8:50 PM on May 17, 2009 by Tom Scheck

MPR's Laura Yuen has the scoop:

St. Paul City Attorney John Choi is expected to take the first step in exploring a run for Ramsey County Attorney.

Choi, 38, plans to file papers Monday to form an exploratory campaign committee. The current county attorney, DFLer Susan Gaertner, is planning her own bid for the governor's race next year.

Choi, a former lobbyist and longtime DFL activist, says he's off to a good start: He has about 340 supporters on a Facebook page encouraging him to run for the 2010 race.

Since appointed to city attorney by Mayor Chris Coleman three years ago, Choi has gotten kudos from community groups for offering alternative programs for individuals who would be otherwise prosecuted for writing bad checks or driving without a valid license.

But Choi will have to answer to criticisms of how the city handled activists at the Republican National Convention last September. And he knows it could be an issue. "I expect there will certainly be some people upset with the RNC," he said. "But if I'm a candidate, I expect I'll address those concerns adequately to the greater public."

Dave Pinto, domestic violence prosecutor in the Ramsey County Attorney's office, has announced he will run for the same seat.

Stay tuned. Choi said he could know as early as this summer whether he'll formally jump into the race.

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