Meet the 2023 Minneapolis City Council candidates

Every seat on the Minneapolis City Council is up for grabs as candidates and voters prepare for the Nov. 7 election. 

While council members generally serve four-year terms, this election will take place just two years after the last one due to new districts being drawn in 2021. Although the power of the council was weakened under the new strong-mayor system, which shifted the council to being a legislative entity and gave more power to the mayor, the council still has a large impact on the city budget, initiatives and ordinances.

Ward 1 incumbent council member Elliot Payne said winners of the city council elections will tackle how much power council members have under the new strong-mayor system.

“We really need to build out a robust legislative function now that we have the new government structure,” Payne said. “I think that’s been lacking since the new government structure.”

The last day for candidates to file for a run at city council was Aug. 15, so no new candidates will enter the race. Residents can vote in person or by mail as soon as Sept. 22 for early voting.

Kathryn Pearson, a professor specializing in American politics at the University of Minnesota, said candidates will need to convince constituents to both support them and come out to vote on election day.

“Voters will not come to the polls to vote for a big-ticket race like the president or the governor,” Pearson said. “It will really be up to the candidates to persuade voters to not only support them but to actually turn out.”

Many of the candidates running said their top issues for this election are police accountability, rent control and affordable housing.

Pearson said voters will use this election to decide whether they are happy with their representative or if they want someone new. Incumbents are running for reelection in all wards except Wards 7 and 12.

“[The elections] will really come down to, do voters want to return the incumbent or do voters want different policy positions and agendas coming from their city council member,” Pearson said. 

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