R. T. Rybak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 46th Mayor of Minneapolis | |
| In office January 1, 2002 – January 2, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Sharon Sayles Belton |
| Succeeded by | Betsy Hodges |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Raymond Thomas Rybak Jr. November 12, 1955 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Boston College (BA) |
Raymond Thomas Rybak Jr. (born November 12, 1955) is an American politician, journalist, businessman, and activist who served from 2002 to 2014 as the 46th mayor of Minneapolis. In 2001, Rybak, endorsed by the Minneapolis Police Federation, defeated incumbent mayor Sharon Sayles Belton by a margin of 65% to 35%, the widest margin of victory over an incumbent mayor in city history.[1] He took office in January 2002, and was reelected in 2005 and 2009. In December 2012, he announced that he would not run for another term and would concentrate on his family. Rybak called being mayor his "dream job".
Before being elected mayor, Rybak worked in journalism, business and activism. The first mayor of a major U.S. city to endorse Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for president, Rybak was one of five vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee.[2]
- ^ "Election Results Archive". Retrieved September 10, 2011.
- ^ Smith, Ben (September 7, 2011). "Minneapolis Mayor gets DNC post". Politico. Retrieved September 10, 2011.