Emily Larson (born 1973) is an American politician and former mayor of Duluth, Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Emily Larson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Larson in 2019 | |
| 39th Mayor of Duluth | |
| In office January 4, 2016 – January 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Don Ness |
| Succeeded by | Roger Reinert |
| Member of the Duluth City Council | |
| In office January 2, 2012 – January 4, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jeff Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Elissa Hansen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |
| Spouse | Doug Zaun |
| Alma mater | College of St. Scholastica (BA) University of Minnesota (MSW) |
Larson was elected mayor of Duluth in November 2015 and inaugurated on January 4, 2016, the first female mayor in the city's history. She won reelection in 2019. Prior to becoming mayor, she was a member of the Duluth City Council.
Life and education
editEmily Larson was born and raised in St. Paul, the youngest of three children. Her mother, a poet, and her father, an information technology worker, divorced when she was 10 years old, but both later remarried.[1] She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in social work from the College of St. Scholastica and later earned a Master's Degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. A graduate of the Intermedia Arts Creative Community Leadership Institute, Larson served on the advisory committee that developed the Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEEP).
She has worked in Duluth for CHUM, a charity assisting homeless people and people at high risk for homelessness, and as a consultant to other non-profit organizations.[2] She owns a small business that specializes in helping non-profits.[3]
Political career
editLarson finished first in the 2011 election for an at-large city council position, and was elected president of the Duluth City Council. She served for one term until she was elected mayor of the city.[2]
Mayor of Duluth
editIn November 2015, Larson won election as the first female mayor of Duluth, with almost 72% of the total votes.[4][5] She succeeded popular mayor Don Ness, who in his second term held a nearly 90% approval rating.[6] Larson was inaugurated on January 4, 2016, during a ceremony at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC).[7]
In 2018, Larson advocated for a new city flag. She claimed a great flag would make a strong brand for the city,[8] representing the city to its people and its people to the world.[9] She said one of Duluth's strengths is its unique neighborhoods, but a common flag would also improve the sense of unity of residents,[9] and she noted city flags were a part of a resurgence of city pride around the country.[9] After an open competition, a flag committee and Mayor Larson recommended a flag to the city council based on design, public feedback and public polling.[10] The Flag of Duluth was approved by the city council in 2019[10][11] and again in 2020.[12] The flag was first flown at city hall on June 21, 2021.[13]
She was again reelected in 2019, this time with about 64% of the total votes.[14]
In December 2022, Larson announced her reelection bid, making her the first Duluth mayor to run for a third term since Gary Doty in 1999.[15]
During the November 7th, 2023 elections Larson lost her re-election bid 60-40 percent to Roger Reinert.[16]
Personal life
editShe is married to Doug Zaun, co-owner of Duluth-based design firm Wagner Zaun Architecture, and together they have two sons.[1][3]
Larson is an active trail runner and fitness enthusiast.[3]
Electoral history
edit| 2011 Duluth City Councilor At-Large election[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Primary (Sep 13) |
General election (Nov 8) | ||
| VotesA | % | VotesA | % | |
| Emily Larson | 4,918 | 40.12 | 13,216 | 38.96 |
| Linda Krug | 4,860 | 39.65 | 12,186 | 35.92 |
| Tim Riley | 947 | 7.73 | 4,459 | 13.14 |
| Chad Smith | 645 | 5.26 | 3,920 | 11.56 |
| Eric Edwardson | 446 | 3.64 | ||
| Gareth W. Bates | 442 | 3.61 | ||
| Write-in | 142 | 0.42 | ||
| Total | 12,258 | 100 | 33,923 | 100 |
^A Voters could cast up to two votes
| 2015 Duluth Mayoral Election[18] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Primary (Sep 15) |
General election (Nov 3) | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Emily Larson | 5,456 | 67.32 | 15,352 | 71.94 |
| Chuck Horton | 1,505 | 18.57 | 5,862 | 27.47 |
| Howie Hanson | 732 | 9.03 | ||
| James Mattson | 117 | 2.18 | ||
| John Socha | 111 | 1.37 | ||
| John Howard Evans | 51 | 0.63 | ||
| Thomas Cooper | 45 | 0.56 | ||
| Robert D. Schieve | 27 | 0.33 | ||
| Write-in | 125 | 0.59 | ||
| Total | 8,044 | 100 | 21,339 | 100 |
| 2019 Duluth Mayoral Election[14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Primary (Aug 13) |
General election (Nov 5) | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Emily Larson | 5,225 | 66.87 | 13,340 | 63.65 |
| David Nolle | 992 | 12.70 | 7,509 | 35.83 |
| John Socha | 450 | 5.76 | ||
| Daniel Weatherly | 285 | 3.65 | ||
| Donald Raihala | 220 | 2.82 | ||
| Caleb Anderson | 206 | 2.64 | ||
| Jesse Peterson | 193 | 2.47 | ||
| Corey Ford | 160 | 2.05 | ||
| Doris Queen Lavender | 83 | 1.06 | ||
| Write-in | 110 | 0.52 | ||
| Total | 7,814 | 100 | 20,959 | 100 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Passi, Peter (October 10, 2015). "Duluth mayoral candidate Emily Larson says conflict taught her to be a more effective city councilor". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ a b "News Tribune's top 10 stories of 2016". Duluth News Tribune. December 24, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Emily Larson for Duluth Mayor". Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- ^ Passi, Peter (November 4, 2015). "Larson will be Duluth's next mayor". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ Enninga, Heidi (January 2, 2017). "Duluth Mayor Emily Larson Looks Back at Year One". WDIO. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ National Research Center, Inc. (2014) The National Citizen Survey™ Duluth, MN DuluthMN.gov
- ^ "Gallery: Emily Larson, the first female mayor of Duluth". Star Tribune. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- ^ "Imagine Duluth 2035" (PDF). City of Duluth. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ a b c Peter Passi (2018-06-08). "Mayor dreams of replacing seldom-seen city flag". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ a b Kelly Busche (2019-08-14). "Duluth's new flag announced". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ "Duluth, Minnesota (U.S.)". Flags of the World. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Nachai Taylor (2020-06-18). "City Moves to Change New Duluth Flag Statement To Provide More Inclusion". Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Sara Guymon (2021-06-21). "Duluth officially raises new flag during ceremony at City Hall". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ a b "2019 Election Results". Duluth, Minnesota. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Passi, Peter (December 13, 2022). "Duluth mayor to seek third term, citing unfinished business, including new library". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Roger Reinert wins Duluth mayoral election". Duluth News Tribune. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "2011 Election Results". Duluth, Minnesota. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "2015 Election Results". Duluth, Minnesota. Retrieved 9 November 2019.