Robert Lilligren (born July 2, 1960) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is an elected member of the Minneapolis City Council. He was first elected in 2001, representing Ward 8.[1] In 2002, the Minneapolis city council approved a redistricting plan for city council wards in subsequent elections.[2] In the 2005 municipal elections, Lilligren again ran for city council, this time in Ward 6. He narrowly defeated incumbent Green Party council member Dean Zimmerman, 1538 votes to 1492 votes.[3] He was re-elected again in the 2009 Minneapolis municipal elections.
Lilligren represents the poorest ward in Minneapolis. He is openly gay and a member of White Earth Band of Ojibwe.[4] He does not own a car, but rides a bicycle to City Hall. Shortly after Lilligren moved to Minneapolis, crack cocaine arrived in Minneapolis and specifically his neighborhood of Phillips West.[5] Lilligren stayed on his block, purchasing rundown apartment buildings and renovating them with Joe Olson, his business partner. They currently own several buildings in South Minneapolis and reside in those buildings.
Jones, Bretton (2007). Meet the Council: Robert Lilligren (Video interview). Minneapolitics.