Ward 11 Councilmember Emily Koski announced her candidacy for mayor of Minneapolis at Pearl Park this morning. Her speech focused on her background and what she sees as Mayor Jacob Frey’s lack of action in office.
“Over the last four years, I’ve had a front row seat to this mayor’s tenure. I’ve witnessed first-hand his inability to work with your City Council and his absence at so many tables,” Koski said in front of a crowd of media and supporters.
Koski described the mayor’s closing of encampments, which tend to sprout up again at nearby sites, as a “waste of time, money, and resources.”
“It’s an endless cycle that's inefficient, ineffective, and inhumane,” Koski said.
Koski also called out Frey’s veto of a $1.5 million grant to prevent the permanent closure of the Agate Housing and Services’ shelter downtown.
“We need to ensure that our unhoused population has immediate access to shelter or transitional housing,” Koski said.
As a former small business owner, Koski said she had a particular interest in supporting the small business community.
“Without a strong working class, our economy, and our businesses, simply cannot thrive,” Koski said. “Workers are the backbone of our city.”
Her grandfather was part of the 1934 Teamsters strike, a piece of family history she shared during her prepared remarks. Koski herself became a union member when she worked as a grocery store clerk.
Koski’s father, Albert Hofstede, was Minneapolis mayor from 1974-75 and 1978-79 and a City councilperson from 1968-70.
Koski joins Sen. Omar Fateh and DeWayne Davis as candidates running against two-term incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey.
Southwest Voices profiled Koski in early 2023, during her first term as a councilmember. She was first elected to City Council in November 2021 and won reelection in November 2023.
Originally posted: Dec. 4, 2024 10 a.m.
Updated: Dec. 4, 2024 1:30 p.m.
