Chris Coleman (politician)
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Chris Coleman
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_Oct_30_2008.jpg) Coleman speaks at a campaign rally, 2008 |
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54th Mayor of St. Paul
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Randy Kelly |
| Constituency | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
| Spouse | Connie Coleman |
Chris Coleman (born 1961, Saint Paul) is a Minnesota politician and the mayor of the state's capital city of St. Paul. In the 2005 mayoral race, he defeated incumbent St. Paul mayor Randy Kelly. Chris Coleman took office on January 3, 2006.
Coleman spent eight years working in Hennepin County as a public defender and prosecutor.[citation needed] Proposals to build a metal shredder along the Mississippi River in Saint Paul inspired his first run for the Saint Paul City Council.[1] Coleman represented Saint Paul's Ward 2 from 1997 to 2003.[2] Currently, he is also an investment management consultant working with non-profit organizations and is also president of United Family Practice Clinic (serving people without insurance and/or with low income).[citation needed] Ann Mulholland serves as Chief of Staff.[3]
Coleman ran as a Democratic-Farmer-Labor(DFL) candidate against fellow DFL member Kelly, and won by a 69% to 31% margin.[4] This was larger than margins in pre-election polling, such as in October 2005, when Coleman was ahead of Kelly among likely St. Paul voters by a margin of 35%.[citation needed] Kelly's loss was largely attributed to his endorsement of George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election in an overwhelmingly Democratic city[5], despite being an incumbent DFLer in a DFL stronghold and despite a poll showing that his constituents felt generally that the city was doing well and was heading in the right direction.[citation needed]
Shortly after taking office, Coleman signed a city ordinance banning tobacco smoking in all bars and restaurants within city limits.[6][7] The ban had long been opposed by former mayor Kelly.[8]
John Kerry visited St. Paul to campaign for Coleman in October 2005 although it meant campaigning against an incumbent of his own party.[9] Wesley Clark and Bill Richardson have also personally campaigned for him in St. Paul, while Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have both actively supported him.[10]
Mayor Coleman 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.
Chris Coleman is son of Nicholas Coleman, Sr., a Minnesota state senator from 1963 to 1981, who also served as state senate majority leader, and the brother of Nick Coleman, a former columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
He has no relation to former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, Randy Kelly's predecessor as mayor of Saint Paul.
[edit] References
- ^ St. Paul Mayor Coleman Born Into Politics, August 30, 2008, WCCO-TV
- ^ http://www.chriscolemanformayor.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={8A7F7C0F-5BB9-4CF0-8483-6F4C947F2D28}&DE={A57A1C94-2D17-40DC-8F6D-0C7B0AF9DE15}
- ^ http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/02/17/colemancabinet/
- ^ http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20051108/ElecRslts.asp?CtyCd=62&M=MCD&Races=Mayor%20(City%20of%20St.%20Paul-140)&CtyNm=Ramsey&ZoneName=City%20of%20St.%20Paul-140&FIPSMCD=58000
- ^ http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/09/19_helmsm_kelleydfl/?refid=0
- ^ http://www.startribune.com/politics/11758481.html
- ^ http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2006/01/09_helmsm_smoking/
- ^ http://no-smoking.org/july04/07-07-04-1.html
- ^ Kerry stumps for St. Paul mayoral candidate Chris Coleman, Oct 10, 2005, Minnesota Public Radio
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/05/AR2005110501174.html
- ^ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members". http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml. Retrieved on June 19, 2007
[edit] External links
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Wikinews has related news: St. Paul Mayor's vehicle hit by drunk driver |
- Chris Coleman Official City website
- "A Bush Democrat May Lose His Way", Washington Post, November 6, 2005
- Mayors Against Illegal Guns homepage
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| Preceded by Randy Kelly |
Mayor of St. Paul 2006 – Present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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