MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The president of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday she will not seek re-election.
Lisa Bender has served two terms for the ward that sits just below the city’s downtown. She said in an announcement on campaign letterhead that he made her decision “well before multiple crises hit our city,” the Star Tribune reported.
The city has been dealing with economic hardship brought on by the coronavirus and racial unrest after the death of George Floyd in May. Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died after Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked protests in the metro area and beyond.
Bender, 42, was elected to represent the 10th Ward on the council in 2013. After her re-election in 2017, she was unanimously elected president by fellow council members.
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