R. T. Rybak

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R.T. Rybak
R. T. Rybak
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 1, 2002
Preceded by Sharon Sayles Belton
Born November 12, 1955 (1955-11-12) (age 52)
Political party Democratic-Farmer-Labor

Raymond Thomas Rybak, Jr. (born November 12, 1955), universally known as R.T. Rybak, is the current mayor of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. In 2001, Rybak defeated Sharon Sayles Belton, the first African-American and first female mayor of the city. In the 2001 election, after running a populist campaign, Rybak won 65% of the vote to Belton's 35%—the widest margin in city history for a challenge to an incumbent. He took office in January 2002, and was elected to a second term in November 2005. In June, 2008, Rybak emerged as a potential Democratic vice-presidential nominee, on a "short list" of candidates being considered by presumptive nominee Barack Obama for the convention nod.[citation needed]

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[edit] Early life

Rybak grew up in Minneapolis. He has said he first became interested in becoming mayor at the age of 13. After graduating from Boston College in 1978, he worked as a journalist for the Minneapolis Tribune in the 1970s and '80s, then went on to run the Twin Cities Reader, which was sold off and shut down in 1997. For a few years, he headed Internet Broadcasting Systems, which started as an online division of Minneapolis television station WCCO and runs websites for many stations across the United States. Following his job there, Rybak did consulting work as an Internet strategist, and assisted some projects with Minnesota Public Radio and Public Radio International.

During this time, Rybak also worked as a community and political activist. In 1994, he was campaign manager for Tony Bouza, the former Minneapolis chief of police who unsuccessfully sought the DFL nomination for Governor of Minnesota. He has been an active supporter of the GLBT community in the Twin Cities and also supported the presidential campaign of Ralph Nader in 2000. However, Rybak is best known for being an early member of the group ROAR ("Residents Opposed to Airport Racket"), which campaigned to fund noise mitigation projects in neighborhoods around the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The group staged a memorable "pajama protest," where area residents wore their nighttime clothes at the airport to show that they were losing sleep because of airplane noise.

[edit] As mayor

R.T. Rybak in 2005
R.T. Rybak in 2005

Rybak's mayorship has dealt mostly with funding services, affordable housing, and balancing the City's budget.[1] He attends public events in the city on a regular basis. He is one of probably a very small number of mayors to have ever crowd surfed—he dove from the stage during a "Rock for Democracy" event at the popular Minneapolis club First Avenue in July 2004.[2][3]

In 2002, Rybak developed the City of Lakes Loppet, a 35 kilometer urban cross country ski race through Theodore Wirth Park and across Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun which ends on the streets in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. The event attracts nearly 2000 skiers. Rybak, a skier himself, has participated in races. (see Swedish loppet)

Rybak has made many public appearances at rallies and protests. In April 2004 he spoke to a rally of striking Metro Transit workers at the Hennepin County Government Center plaza.[4] Like many Twin Cities politicians, he marches in the annual Minneapolis Pride Parade.

In his 2005 re-election campaign he won against challenger (and fellow DFLer) Peter McLaughlin. He won the election by 25 percentage points[5] and performed another crowd surf.[6]

R.T. Rybak shares a hug with Barack Obama at a rally February 2, 2008
R.T. Rybak shares a hug with Barack Obama at a rally February 2, 2008

R.T. Rybak was the first mayor in the nation to endorse the presidential campaign of Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Mayor Rybak consistently campaigns on Obama's behalf, being particularly active in the youth wing of the campaign.

In August 2007, after the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, Rybak asked Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota state officials to implement its replacement, ensuring that the new bridge would be capable of handling mass transit.[7] Rybak pushed that future needs and policy considerations shouldn't be ignored in the rush to build a replacement.[8] His leadership resulted in a bridge plan which included improvements to carry a future light rail line. Rybak was quoted as saying "we (the City) have a vision that we believe will be for a bridge that will serve us for many years to come."[9] His role also involved authorizing municipal consent of the final bridge replacement.[10]

He is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[11], an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Rybak lives in the city's East Harriet neighborhood with his wife, Megan, and their children, Charlie and Grace.[12]

He is longlisted for the 2008 World Mayor award.

[edit] Controversy

Anti-war march, Minneapolis, March 18, 2007
Anti-war march, Minneapolis, March 18, 2007

Rybak has been involved in a number of controversies as mayor. One of the earliest involved the shutdown of a group that oversaw complaints about the Minneapolis Police Department. Although it was considered a model for the nation, Rybak closed it down partly because of funding concerns (he had inherited a situation requiring $5 million to be shaved from the city's budget). After the September 11, 2001 attacks and the U.S. military actions that followed, Rybak opposed sending American forces into Iraq, but pledged to veto any city resolution stating the same since it would be nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

He has drawn attacks for sending his children to a private school, giving the impression to some that he doesn't fully support the Minneapolis Public Schools. Rybak went to the same school, Breck, when he was growing up because his mother had been given a job there during a difficult period, so he has said that sending his own children there is paying back a debt as much as anything else. Rybak, who graduated in 1974, was awarded the "Distinguished Alumnus" award from Breck in 2002.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Anderson Jr., G.R. (2002-04-10). Sign of Things to Come. City Pages. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
  2. ^ Scholtes, Peter (2004-12-15). Local Music Yearbook '04. City Pages. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  3. ^ HowWasTheShow Blog: Mayor RT Rybak Stage Dives and Crowd Surfs at First Avenue during Rock for Democracy
  4. ^ Anderson, G.R. (2004-4-7). Does This Bus Stop at the Capitol?. City Pages. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  5. ^ Scheck, Tom (2005-11-09). Rybak cruises to victory in Minneapolis. Minneapolis Public Radio. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  6. ^ Aaron Landry » R.T. Rybak at the Ukrainian Event Center
  7. ^ Brown, Curt; Rochelle Olson and Laurie Blake (2007-08-14). Monday: Feud forming over function of new bridge. Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
  8. ^ Scheck, Tom (2007-08-05). I-35W bridge reconstruction could delay other projects. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  9. ^ Foti, Jim (2007-08-21). State's plans for new I-35W bridge include light rail. Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
  10. ^ Thomas, Dylan (2007-08-22). Pawlenty plan for bridge includes LRT. Downtown Journal. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
  11. ^ Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members. Retrieved on June 19, 2007
  12. ^ City Mayors: Raymond Thomas Rybak - Mayor of Minneapolis

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Sharon Sayles Belton		 Mayor of Minneapolis
2002 – present		 Succeeded by
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