Get to Know Your Ward 7 Council Member, Lisa Goodman

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Ward 7 Council Member Lisa GoodmanCouncil Member Lisa Goodman represents Ward 7, which includes the Bryn-Mawr, Cedar-Isles-Dean, Downtown West, East Isles, Elliot Park, Kenwood, Loring Park, Lowry Hill and Steven Square-Loring Heights neighborhoods. We talked to her about her (very inspirational) prior work history that led to elected office, the importance of civic involvement and how to stay in touch with her.

Q: Many people move to Minneapolis every year and may be unfamiliar with your background. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to where you are today? 

A: Originally from the Chicago area, I went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and have a degree in labor relations and political science. I worked on a number of campaigns including, for Governor Tony Earl, of Wisconsin and Mayor Paul Soglin of Madison. I moved to Minneapolis in 1989. I was the fundraising Director for Paul Wellstone who was running for his first term in the United States Senate at the time as a grassroots candidate. I loved working for Paul and the City of Minneapolis so much that I decided to stay. I became the Executive Director of Minnesota NARAL the largest pro-choice advocacy organization at the time in Minnesota and worked on electing a pro-choice majority in the state House and Senate which was achieved finally in 1996. We had lost the majority for many years in between but finally regained that pro-choice majority in this last election 2022!  

I worked on campaigns, abortion rights advocacy and education for five years in Minnesota. As part of that work, I worked in coalition with moderate Republican women who were also abortion rights supporters. In 1997 the incumbent City Council Member Pat Scott decided not to run for reelection in the seventh ward. She held the seat that used to be held by Barbara Carlson and in an unexpected victory I beat four men for the DFL endorsement and then four others in a primary and general election and became the council member starting in 1998. This came on the heels of the Clinton presidency and the 1996 year of the woman when so many women were elected to Congress - there was a lot of momentum to elect women to local office at that time. I have now surpassed the 23-year record of the longest serving member of the Minneapolis City Council and am going into my 25th year on the Council.

Lisa with Al Franken at a Habitat for Humanity project site.

Q: Congratulations on so many career achievements! As you mention, you're the longest serving Council member - first elected in 1997. What is it like to be a public figure for one third of your adult life? 

A: I never thought I would be an elected official. I was always the person raising money or doing field and organizing work for other candidates, so I was an unlikely candidate. It felt strange from day one. I had never been to City Hall until the day of the inauguration in 1998. I believe deeply that this position is about public service, especially at this hyper local level and I love that. Being a public figure kind of comes with the job and I’m used to it now, but it was very hard at first. To me it’s more about how I can solve problems, serve people and make them proud to live in this wonderful city. Many people older than me did one or two jobs their entire career and most everybody younger than me has had multiple job changes, so I’m at that age where I’m in the middle of that changing dynamic. I’ve learned that in doing this job - every day is completely different and each issue, while they seem similar, have very different details, impacts and consequences. I would liken it to getting a master’s degree every couple of years because I learn so much about so many different issues. 

Q:  How do you balance your personal and City Council life?

A:  I do not do a very good job of balancing my personal and professional life. I’m known for responding to email and phone calls at all hours of the day or night and on weekends. I go to a lot of events because I understand that it’s meaningful to people if I show up for their fundraiser, ice cream social or neighborhood meeting. In a way I represent the City, so when I attend an event people are often proud that someone from the City or an elected official is there to support their work. It’s energizing for me to celebrate wonderful things but also to be there for people in their times of need.

Lisa with Bella Nhi Lam of Coconut Whisk Cafe at the May 2021 ribbon cutting in the Young Quinlan Building.

Q:  What would you like to say to young people about the importance of being engaged in civic matters? 

A:  Local government is incredible because it is the level of government closest to people. It’s easy to be involved in civic life at the local level because you’re doing so alongside your neighbors, your family and your friends. Local issues are critical to everyone’s day-to-day lives no matter where they live. In cities we value the opinion of the public. I show up and ask for it in person and try very hard to give and receive honest and direct feedback to inform my decision making. Civic life is critical to a functioning democracy, and local government has really led the way in being in touch with residents. I’m really proud of the way my office has handled it and I think the City of Minneapolis does a pretty good job as well.

Q:  What’s on your 2023 wish list as a City Council Member?

A:  My wish for 2023 is that we all work together, residents and elected officials, to ensure that we have a safe, equitable and highly functional city government. My wish list includes more affordable housing and more housing overall. The comeback of restaurants and retail in our Downtown and Uptown. Workers coming back to work in person for as many days as they can while still enjoying a bit of the flexibility that comes with working at home. I wish for less conflict and anger on social media, a deeper commitment to the philosophy that "we all do better when we all do better" as Paul would say, and that we take seriously the challenges of climate change, unsheltered homelessness and equitable economic development as we continue to rebuild this incredible city.

Q:  Wonderful wishes! How may we follow your news?   

A:  My office puts out a weekly newsletter every Friday. If you would like to sign up for the newsletter there are several ways to do so. First, you can sign up here. You can also reach out to my staffer Zach Schultz via email or telephone and he will sign you up to receive the weekly newsletter. His contact information is: zach.schultz@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2207. The archive of past newsletters is available here.