Sarah Westwood of the Washington Examiner highlights other interesting races on the Nov. 2 election ballot.

Minneapolis City Question 2

Voters in Minneapolis will decide Tuesday if they want to abolish their police department and create a “Department of Public Safety” in its place.

The site of George Floyd’s murder last year at the hands of police, Minneapolis has faced pressure from activists to overhaul its law enforcement agency and cut its budget significantly.

The city did slash millions of dollars from its police department in 2020. Confronting a police officer shortage, however, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has advocated putting resources behind recruiting more officers. …

… Buffalo mayor

An upset in June in the Democratic primary for mayor of Buffalo drew attention to the relatively small race from big names, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

India Walton, a Democratic socialist, beat Buffalo’s incumbent Democratic mayor, Byron Brown, in the primary. She will be the only candidate listed on the ballot Tuesday in the upstate New York city.

But Brown has launched a write-in campaign that could keep him in control of Buffalo. Polls show Brown with a healthy lead over Walton heading into the final stretch of the race.

The contest has emerged as another front in the battle between centrist and progressive Democrats. …

… Boston mayor

The Boston mayoral contest is shaping up to be another test of progressivism vs. more traditional Democratic politics.

Liberal candidate Michelle Wu, a city councilor, has promised sweeping progressive policies, including limiting the power of the city’s police union.

She’ll face off Tuesday against Annissa Essaibi George, another city councilor who is running a centrist Democratic campaign. …

… Atlanta mayor …

… Former Mayor Kasim Reed is seeking another term in office and will square off against Felicia Moore, the Atlanta City Council president.

The city’s spike in crime has been the central issue in the race, and Reed and Moore have taken different approaches to address the growing concerns of voters.