Fmr. City Council Member Pat Harris To Run For St. Paul Mayor

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A former St. Paul City Council member has thrown his hat into the race for mayor.

On Monday, Pat Harris announced his candidacy.

In addition to formerly serving on the St. Paul City Council, Harris is also a public finance leader within the city.

Harris announced his candidacy outside of the Darul-Uloom Community Center, the former home of the Church of St. John, on St. Paul's east side. The 127-year-old parish closed in 2013 and is now being turned into a community center.

"This building, and the classrooms and gymnasium inside it, represents what is great about Saint Paul and how far we truly have to go. Like so many cherished places in Saint Paul, it is finding new life. The St. Johns' School behind us is being reborn to serve our latest wave of New Americans," Harris said during his speech.

During his announcement, Harris said his goal is to make St. Paul a city where all can thrive. He continued to outline his plan to do so, which included a focus on jobs, public safety and ending racial disparities.

The general election takes place in November 2017.

The current mayor, Chris Coleman, announced he would not be running for re-election last December as he intends to run for governor instead.