Gov. Mark Dayton's chief of staff, Tina Smith, announced Friday she is not running for mayor of Minneapolis.
Dayton's chief of staff not running for Minneapolis mayor
Tina Smith said she is not going to run for Minneapolis' top elected post.
April 13, 2013 at 5:09AM
Rumors had swirled for months that Smith, who had worked for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, was preparing to jump into a run for the city's top elected post.
Smith said Friday she wanted to put those rumors to rest.
In the last two years, she has become an integral part of the Dayton administration. She led the efforts to build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium and is now leading the effort to lend state aid for a comprehensive expansion of Mayo Clinic and the surrounding Rochester area.
Before joining Dayton, Smith had served as Rybak's chief of staff for several years. While at the city, Smith helped lead the city's rebuilding efforts after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.
Smith said she is not endorsing any of the current mayoral candidates.
The lifelong northeast Minneapolis resident led a one-vote majority through the landmark 2023 session.
