Minneapolis Mayoral Race, the demise of local politics

R.T. Rybak's declaration that he isn't a candidate in 2013 already has prompted speculation that the Minneapolis mayor's race could be like none other in the city's history.

For one thing, an expected field of candidates that could be both broad and deep has led some to predict that the DFL convention will deadlock on endorsement, as it has in three of the last five election cycles, including the one in which Rybak triumphed as an unknown.

For another, the city's switch to ranked-choice voting throws a wild card into the process because there's no primary to winnow candidates, and the second and third choices of voters could determine the winner in a large field