MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff has formally announced his intentions to run for the city’s soon-to-be open post for mayor.

Current mayor R.T. Rybak said he would not seek reelection last December. He has served three terms as Minneapolis mayor.

Schiff, who just changed his Facebook username to “Gary Schiff ForMayor,” made the announcement at Harriet Brewing in southeast Minneapolis.

“I think the biggest challenge is to make sure that this city comes together as one, because this is a city of opportunity. We believe we can make a difference and make it better for the next generation, but we can only do that if we are together,” Schiff said.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Susie Jones Reports

Schiff selected the Harriet Brewing Company because three years ago, the building was vacant.

“Yesterday, the City Council approved the 7th license for a microbrewery in just three years. Minneapolis is growing, we are on the track, and there’s so much more we can do to be a city for everyone,” he said.

Already, fellow council member Betsy Hodges has thrown her name into the ring, and the Minnesota Daily reports that council member Don Samuels will launch his campaign Wednesday.

Schiff, 40, was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2001, and has served three terms. He serves Ward 9, which covers the Longfellow, Phillips and Corcoran neighborhoods.