Patch Candidate Profile: Steve Fletcher For Minneapolis Council

MINNEAPOLIS — This fall, Minneapolis residents will vote in several important local elections. Among the offices on the ballot is the mayor and city council seats, as well as the Minneapolis Park Board. Early voting in Minneapolis has already started.

Steve Fletcher is running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

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Are you running for office in Minneapolis? Contact William Bornhoft at william.bornhoft@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Age (as of Election Day): 44

Position sought: Minneapolis City Council Ward 3

Party Affiliation: DFL

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.

Education: BA, University of Minnesota; M.Phil, New York University

Occupation: Community organizer, 10+ years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Current Minneapolis City Council Member, Ward 3

Why are you seeking elective office? We’re at a pivotal moment in our city, and I want to follow through on the important racial justice work we’ve begun on public safety, housing, and climate change.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The inseparably interconnected challenges of COVID recovery, public safety, and housing are, collectively, critical to Ward 3. Solving all three will require focus and commitment to pass real policy and funding to create new approaches to public safety, add needed transitional housing to get people out of homelessness, and reactivate commerce downtown.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My opponents don’t have a plan for public safety beyond traditional policing approaches that are not working well for our city, and they haven’t offered new policy ideas in housing, transportation, climate change, or any of the other important areas of policy overseen by the City Council. They are supporting the “strong mayor” amendment and opposing Question 2, both of which would limit the Council’s power to make any meaningful change - a strange position for aspiring Council Members.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe we collectively responded well at first. I’ve been concerned at times that the pressure to re-open aspects of the economy has led to decisions that have not as aggressively protected critical workers’ safety as we should have. We formed the Downtown Workers’ Council to make sure front-line workers’ voices are heard, and I’m proud of the ways we stepped up to some of their requests.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I’m an advocate for affordable housing at all levels of affordability, and I’m a co-author on tenant opportunity to purchase, to close the ownership gap. I’m a strong advocate for a more sustainable city, including energy efficiency improvements, investment in renewable energy and the jobs that renewable energy creates, and dense walkable, bikeable neighborhoods that reduce our reliance on cars.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I’m proud to stand on accomplishments from my first term, including the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention, passage of strict new regulations on AirBnb and other short term rentals, a new data privacy policy to regulate the way government collects data on residents, and a great deal more. I’ve been a leader on public safety beyond policing, renters’ rights, and more.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I didn’t know Paul Wellstone very well, but I was lucky enough to attend the last Camp Wellstone training that he was present for, and he talked me out of going to law school. He told me there were plenty of people who were passionate about the law, but it seemed clear to him that I was passionate about people, and that I should focus on work in community.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m proud to serve my community in the city that made me who I am, and I’d be honored to continue serving for another term.