Gary Schiff | |
|---|---|
 Schiff announcing his candidacy for Minneapolis mayor in 2013 | |
| Member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 9th Ward | |
| In office December 17, 2001 – January 6, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Kathy Thurber |
| Succeeded by | Alondra Cano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gary J. Schiffhauer February 3, 1972 Youngstown, New York |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
| Residence | Corcoran, Minneapolis |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Activist |
Gary Schiff (born February 3, 1972, as Gary J. Schiffhauer) is an American politician and activist who represented Ward 9 on the Minneapolis City Council. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), he was first elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 and 2009. Prior to his political career, Schiff was involved with a variety of activist groups and causes ranging from human rights with the Human Rights Campaign, to historic preservation with Save Our Shubert.
During his city council tenure, Schiff worked to ease ordinances prohibitive to small businesses, especially microbreweries, and strongly advocated against a publicly funded stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. In January 2013, Schiff began a campaign for mayor of Minneapolis in the 2013 election but after an unsuccessful DFL endorsement convention, dropped out of the race and backed eventual winner Betsy Hodges in mid-June. His third and final term on the City Council ended in January 2014.
Schiff took over as president of the Council on Crime and Justice the following July but he was dismissed from the organization the next year. The organization closed abruptly following his termination.[1][2] Schiff again ran to represent Ward 9 on the City Council in 2017 but lost to incumbent Alondra Cano.
- ^ Belz, Adam (March 18, 2017). "In race for Minneapolis' Ninth Ward, Council Member Alondra Cano draws two well-known challengers". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Stahl, Brandon (May 20, 2016). "Council on Crime and Justice abruptly shuts down". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2017.