Often seen as one of the more moderate voices on the council, Northeast Minneapolis’ two-term Council Member Michael Rainville (Ward 3) admits to having a narrow view of his responsibilities. 

Inspired by his aunt, Alice Rainville, a widow with seven children and the first woman to serve as president of the city council, Rainville took on a more moderate style of governing. He said he only votes to spend city funding on basic services like street repair and public safety and disagrees with his city council colleagues who govern like activists.

“What I’ve learned from (family) is these national policies, even international policies, that’s not really our job,” Rainville said. “Our job is to take care of the small businesses and the citizens and give them the highest level of service.”

Rainville represents Ward 3 which encompasses part of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, the Mill District, U.S. Bank Stadium and the Guthrie Theater, or what he calls the “economic engine” of Minneapolis.  

The fifth generation of his family to live in Northeast Minneapolis, Rainville took office after 35 years working for Meet Minneapolis, the city’s convention and visitors association, during a time when Ward 3 was “kind of a mess.” He said he is proudest of his responsive service to his constituents.

“I run for office for a very, very selfish reason — I want to live here, I want to live in a good city,” Rainville said.

Council Member Linea Palmisano (Ward 13), who often votes similarly to Rainville, said he is an extremely hard worker who makes decisions informed by his life experience.

“For many on the clerks’ staff or just in his pathway to and from his office, he brings flowers from his garden not once but every week,” Palmisano said in her email statement. “Or, he’ll bring a pastry or something for even someone not part of his own team.”

Rainville, who is planning to run for reelection, already has a challenger for his seat in Emilio Rodríguez, a University of Minnesota student.

Rodríguez, who is also a legislative organizer, said governing moderately is not an option when the lives of marginalized people are at risk during president-elect Donald Trump’s second presidency. 

“Standing in the middle will not do us any service, we need to be bold, we need to act now or our needs are not going to be met,” Rodríguez said. “No matter who is in office, no matter who represents Ward 3, no matter who represents us at the federal level, whoever is the president we deserve to live and to thrive and flourish.”

Rodríguez helped pass Minnesota’s Driver’s License for All Act and said the failure of the North STAR Act, a bill that would have prohibited using state funds for immigration enforcement, in the state legislature pushed him to run for city council and represent the marginalized voices he does not believe legislators are listening to, including young people. 

“I’m tired of sitting and waiting for people who aren’t necessarily affected, who don’t experience these systemic struggles firsthand to, out of the goodness of their hearts, make these decisions for us,” Rodríguez said.

Rainville received criticism from the Somali community and fellow city council members in 2022 over comments he made blaming Somali youth for violence in Minneapolis over the July 4 weekend. City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison (Ward 5) called Rainville’s comments xenophobic. Rainville apologized for the comments and later worked to get funding for Somali Youth Link for Somali elders to intervene in youth violence.

Rainville said the work he does outside of city hall, such as working with Somali elders and improving downtown Minneapolis bus routes, is more important to him than the vote totals.

“You’re not gonna hear about that if you look at my vote totals,” Rainville said. “I’ve been working quietly because I’m just a quiet guy when it comes to that stuff.”

Rainville said his goals for his next term, should he win reelection, are to build more housing and improve his constituent service.

While not always the most popular, Rainville said he is confident in the work he has done on the city council and is committed to his moderate governing style.

“I don’t do this job for Facebook or Twitter accounts,” Rainville said. “I do it to get the job done and I’m getting the job done.”