The 2nd and the 5th

Today's videos spotlight two of the more interesting City Council races, the ones in the 2nd and 5th districts.

In the 2nd District, Democratic incumbent Karen Goldner is challenged by Republican Russ Jehl. The 2nd is a pretty Republican district, and a lot of people were shocked when Goldner beat longtime incumbent Don Schmidt four years ago, a win that was generally attributed to Goldner's hard work in door-to-door campaigning and Schmidt taking another win for granted. Jehl is young and energetic, and he's put in the time campaigning that Schmidt didn't. This seems to be the race a lot of people are watching. Will the district revert to its GOP roots, or will Goldner win on the power of incumbency and her hard work in serving constituents?

Democrat Tim Pape decided not to run again, so this is the only race without an incumbent. Democrat Geoff Paddock, executive director of Headwaters Park, faces Ben Hall, manager of the Gas House restaurant. This is a Democratic-leaning district, so Paddock should have the edge. But Hall is a familiar name -- the last Republican to hold the seat was Ben's mother Didi. This race gives voters a choice between someone with a long history in local government whose specialty is public-private partnerships, and someone with an intimate knowledge of how local government deals with private business. Whichever one wins will be a quieter replacement on the council for Pape, who has been one of the more combative members.