Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak recently gave a group of visiting business leaders from Atlanta a hint at why he wants to run for governor of Minnesota: to put more of the state’s focus on the Twin Cities.
Last week a group of around 100 Atlanta residents came to town as part of a Minneapolis/Atlanta business exchange geared toward sharing ideas about civic life and economic development. At a welcome banquet Wednesday night, Rybak mentioned that he’s seriously considering a gubernatorial bid, getting a few jabs in on the current officeholder, Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
“Regional economies drive states, Georgia and Minnesota included,” Rybak said, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Our governor clearly does not get the value of the cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is ironic because they pay a disproportionate amount of the budget that he’s trying to balance.”
He added that bipartisanship is what’s made the state thrive. “The governor has been uniquely incapable of that. He’s very partisan. And he’s been interested in running for president for the last four years. I’m not a fan.”
Rybak, who first is eyeing re-election as mayor, has not yet officially declared his candidacy for governor. But this speech seems to be the first time he’s discussed why he’s considering a run for statewide office. How his Twin Cities focus might play in greater Minnesota, however, remains to be seen.
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