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Elliott Payne
President of the Minneapolis City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office January 8, 2024
Preceded by	Andrea Jenkins
Member of the Minneapolis City Council from Ward 1
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2022
Preceded by	Kevin Reich
Personal details
Born	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic (DFL)
Residence(s)	Audubon Park, Minneapolis
Alma mater	University of Minnesota (BA) University of Minnesota- Carlson School of Management (MBA)
Website	Campaign website

Elliott Payne is an American politician and consultant serving as president of the Minneapolis City Council and representing Ward 1. A member of the DFL, he defeated the incumbent Kevin Reich in 2021 to become the first Black councilmember for Ward 1. Payne is now the first Black man to serve as council president.

Early life and education

Payne grew up on the north side of Milwaukee, raised by a single mother. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering at the University of Minnesota, then relocated to Northeast Minneapolis in 2005. Payne later received a master's degree in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management in 2010.

Career

Early career

Payne began his career as an engineer then moved towards digital advertising and software design consulting. He worked briefly as an adjunct professor with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

In 2016, Payne joined the City of Minneapolis Office of Performance and Innovation, bringing his design focus to a municipal government role. In his time with the OPI, he consulted on alternative public safety responses and helped establish the Behavioral Crisis Response team.

Minneapolis City Council

Payne ran for city council in 2021. He opposed the more moderate incumbent Kevin Reich (DFL), presenting a progressive platform based on racial equity and an overhaul of policing. He was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2021. Payne won the council seat on the second round of ranked-choice tabulation with 50.2% of the vote. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2022.

In 2023, he won his re-election, taking 89.7% of the vote over challenger Edwin Fruit of the Socialist Workers Party. His re-election was part of a shift in the council's alignment: a left-wing coalition endorsed by Minneapolis for the Many and/or the Minneapolis DSA took a majority of city council seats. He was subsequently chosen as council president by a 10–3 vote in January 2024, serving alongside council vice president Aisha Chughtai. He also serves as the chair of the Settlement Agreement & Consent Decree Subcommittee and is a member of the Public Health & Safety Committee.

Personal life

Payne lives in the Audubon Park neighborhood of Minneapolis with his wife Lindsay. He is an avid cyclist and commutes to work via bicycle.

References

1. Orrick, Dave (January 15, 2024). "Meet Elliott Payne, the new Minneapolis City Council President". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
2. "Elliott Payne". Ballotpedia.
3. Bloomberg Cities (Jun 21, 2018). "Meet the new force shaking up city halls: designers". Medium. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
4. "Meet the Faculty: Elliott Payne". Minnesota College of Art and Design (MCAD). Retrieved 25 April 2024.
5. ^ "About Elliott Payne". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
6. Hensin, Caleb (November 10, 2021). "Newly elected Elliott Payne focuses on racial equity in Ward 1". The Minnesota Daily.
7. Minneapolis, City of (2021-11-02). "2021 City Council Ward 1 election results". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
8. Navratil, Liz (January 3, 2022). "Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, new City Council are sworn in". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
9. MPR News Staff (November 7, 2023). "Minneapolis City Council Election Results". MPR News. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
10. Stokes, Kyle (November 10, 2023). "Rent control, encampment response, rideshare policies: What changes now that a left-leaning coalition controls the Minneapolis City Council?". MinnPost. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
11. Stokes, Kyle (November 8, 2023). "Left-wing coalition makes gains in Minneapolis City Council election". MinnPost. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
12. Fischer, Samantha; Croman, John (January 8, 2024). "Payne, Chughtai elected new leadership team at Minneapolis City Hall". Kare 11 News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
13. Minneapolis, City of (2024-01-08). "City Council organizes for new term". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
14. "Wow! What a Bike to Work Day!". Move Minneapolis. 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

• Living people
• Minnesota Democrats
• Minneapolis City Council members
• University of Minnesota alumni
• Carlson School of Management alumni
• 21st-century Minnesota politicians
• Politicians from Minneapolis
• 21st-century African-American politicians
• African-American city council members in Minnesota
• Politicians from Milwaukee