Minneapolis City Council Member  •  Ward 9

A Message from Gary

It has been my honor working with you and your neighbors to implement your ideas and make sure your voice is heard down at City Hall.

My partner David and I live near the YWCA in the Corcoran Neighborhood. I became an activist twenty years ago when my friends were dying and I saw
how government inaction turned AIDS into a political crisis.

As an AIDS activist I saw then—and I still see now—how differences in race, class and gender are magnified in public policy, depending on who has a seat at the table, and whose voices are heard.

I joined the board of my neighborhood group because I realized if we don’t have affordable neighborhoods where we can walk down the street without fear, then our children will never have equal opportunity.

With President Obama leading us, I believe we are in the early days of a better nation. I believe our neighborhoods will emerge from this recession stronger because of our shared vision of neighborhoods as sustainable, livable urban villages with green jobs and safe streets.

Our country is in a crisis, that’s why it’s more important than ever to keep working together—neighborhood groups, you and me—and continue solving the problems our neighborhoods face.

I love the Ninth Ward because we are a community of community organizers. I ask for your vote so I can return to City Hall and continue the work we’ve started.

SEIU Minnesota State Council, UNITE HERE Local 17 and the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation endorse Gary Schiff

“I believe in the labor movement and I believe in justice in the workplace, and prosperity and opportunity for all of America’s working families.”

This past week, Gary has been privileged to receive a nod of approval for his work with the labor community and working families of Ward 9.  Collaborating with unions such as SEIU, UNITE HERE and the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, has allowed the community to improve the working conditions, wages and benefits of thousands of workers.  With the upcoming budget cuts, Gary’s experience and commitment to good jobs in the community will help to sustain the local economy and generate new green jobs for future generations.  Click here to see a full list of endorsements. 

Why I'm Running for Re-Election

I am running for re-election as City Council Member because I believe I have shown how to advocate for people and advance a progressive agenda for change. And now, as we face the worst economic crisis of our lifetime I am ready to put my experience to work to help lift up every family in Minneapolis. 

Our neighborhoods have been through a lot together.  Workers are losing their jobs.  Families are losing their homes. Children continue to be recruited by gangs.  We have been through tough times before and come out stronger. I know we will do that again.

In the next four years I will be focused on creating green jobs for a sustainable future, securing safe housing for all, and ensuring that every child has a safe neighborhood and the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

I’m going to need your help. The election is in November, but first I need to earn the DFL endorsement again. Please attend your precinct caucus on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Visit my website and sign up to volunteer and make a donation. Those contributions, no matter how small, are critical because they will help power a grassroots door-to-door campaign that will help build the DFL and carry our momentum forward from the last election.

I look forward to hearing your ideas in the weeks ahead. Thank you for giving me the honor of being your Ninth Ward City Council Member. I hope I can count on your help this year as we advance a progressive agenda and secure a better future for our neighborhoods.

The Inauguration of Barack Obama

The morning of the inauguration I joined hundreds of neighbors at the Riverview Theater as we waited outside in below freezing temperatures to watch the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th president.  The hard work of our community helped elect him and bring the progressive change that our country and communities so deeply sought.  I was especially struck to see so many generations, from young school children to grandparents, together in that theater to share in witnessing the memorable events of the day. 

The inauguration of President Barack Obama brings new hope for cities.  We have in the White House a champion for an urban agenda promoting green jobs, mass transit and aide for neighborhoods that have been hard hit by foreclosures.

Earlier this month, R.T. Rybak met with President-elect Obama and members of Obama’s economic team in Washington, D.C. and discussed the urgent need for a national economic recovery package.  Obama told the group that “help is on the way” for cities and states like ours that are struggling during the recession.

Minneapolis will continue to face our economic and financial challenges head on: balancing our budget, paying down debt and redesigning city services for better results.  The road to recovery won’t be easy, but knowing that we have a partner in the White House gives us hope for the future.