Minneapolis City Councilmember Emily Koski announces mayoral run
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis City Councilmember Emily Koski announced Wednesday morning that she will enter the race for mayor.
Koski, who represents the Nokomis area of south Minneapolis, was first elected to City Council in 2021. She is the daughter of Al Hofstede, a former Ward 3 city councilmember and two-term mayor of Minneapolis who died in 2016.
"Service has always been part of my family's story," she said during her announcement.
"Our city is at a crossroads. Over the last four years, I've had a front-row seat to this mayor's tenure. I've witnessed firsthand his inability to work with your City Council, and his absence at so many tables," Koski said. "We can and we must do better."
Recently she criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over his veto of the proposed labor standards board, which would have brought together employers and workers to advise Minneapolis leaders on workplace policies.
Frey's campaign spokesperson released a statement in response to Koski's announcement: "Over the last two years on the Minneapolis City Council, Emily Koski has changed her position on everything from paying police officers more to regulating Uber and Lyft. Minneapolis voters deserve a clear vision and Mayor Frey will continue to outline his. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing what the Council Member stands for in this election cycle."
On Monday, state Sen. Omar Fateh, who represents portions of south Minneapolis including Powderhorn and Lyndale, announced his campaign for mayor. He joins DeWayne Davis, a minister who lives in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of north Minneapolis.
The mayor, along with all 13 council seats, are up for reelection next year. Jeremiah Ellison, who has represented Ward 5 for nearly a decade, announced last week that he will not seek reelection.
