Pat Harris (Minnesota)

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Pat Harris

Prior offices

St. Paul City Council Ward 3

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Education

Bachelor's

Marquette University

Graduate

University of Minnesota

Personal

Profession

Senior vice president, BMO Harris Bank

Contact

Personal website

Pat Harris was a candidate for mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota. Harris was defeated in the general election on November 7, 2017. Click here to read Harris' response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.

Harris served on the St. Paul City Council from 2000 to 2011.

Biography

Harris earned his B.A. from Marquette University. He later received his MBA from the University of Minnesota. Harris is a senior vice president at BMO Harris Bank.

Elections

2017

See also: Municipal elections in St. Paul, Minnesota (2017)

The city of St. Paul, Minnesota, held an election for mayor on November 7, 2017. The filing deadline for this election was August 15, 2017. Mayor Chris Coleman (D) did not file for re-election because of his 2018 campaign for governor. The following candidates ran in the general election for mayor of St. Paul.

Mayor of St. Paul, General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Melvin Carter III	50.86%	31,353
Pat Harris	24.79%	15,281
Dai Thao	12.31%	7,590
Elizabeth Dickinson	4.75%	2,927
Tom Goldstein	3.83%	2,360
Chris Holbrook	1.39%	854
Sharon Anderson	0.79%	487
Tim Holden	0.72%	446
Trahern Jeen Crews	0.26%	162
Barnabas Y'shua	0.15%	94
Write-in votes	0.15%	92
Total Votes		61,646
Source: Ramsey County, Minnesota, "Election Results," accessed November 28, 2017

Campaign themes

2017

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

Harris participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Equitable access to education, living wage jobs, and affordable homes.	”
—Pat Harris (September 23, 2017)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. The candidate did not rank any of these items.

Nationwide municipal issues

The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?Answer options: Not important; Not important, but required by state law; A little important; A little important, but required by state law; Important; Very important	Very important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?Answer options: None, Local, State, Federal	Local
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Increased economic opportunities, Increased police presence/activity, Harsher penalties for offenders, Public outreach/education programs	Our Police and Fire departments in Saint Paul are the best in the state and our public safety professionals are among our top civic assets. But every day is different and our officers need to address crime wherever it happens. All of our residents and visitors need to be confident that the law is enforced with integrity across the city. I was a leader on the City Council in community policing and he is committed to ensuring that Saint Paul has a police department that reflects our diverse communities, keeps its long-time commitment to community policing, and enforces the law with compassion.
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Changing zoning restrictions, Create a more competitive business climate, Focusing on small business development, Instituting a citywide minimum wage, Recruiting new businesses to your city, Regulatory and licensing reforms, and tax reform	This single best thing we can do to help Saint Paul families is make it easy for residents to get a job with a living wage. Saint Paul needs to recommit to attracting, growing, and preserving jobs in the city. We need to make it easier to start and run professional, manufacturing and service businesses in our city. That means more efficient licensing and permitting, investing in infrastructure, facilitating connections and leveraging our anchor institutions. We will create opportunities for job seekers, increase economic activity and increase city resources by growing the commercial, industrial, and sales tax base. My access to capital program is industry-leading and his deep financial background will create instant momentum in these important efforts for Saint Paul's future.
What is the one thing you’re most proud of about your city?	Saint Paul is a wonderful city. It has been my home for my entire life and for four generations of our family. My wife Laura and I are raising our four children here. Together, we have dedicated our lives to making Saint Paul better. But the work of making Saint Paul a great place is not done until everybody in our city has access to success, until everybody feels safe, and until everybody sees themselves in Saint Paul’s future. I am running for Mayor because I believe Saint Paul can be a city where every child, every resident, and every business owner has the opportunity to thrive. In these uncertain times, Saint Paul can show the nation how a city can work for all of its people.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your city?	Saint Paul is failing its kids as seen in the local achievement gap. This is a symptom of our need to improve equity throughout Saint Paul. Saint Paul’s public schools are critical to our future – every student should have access to a world-class education. The city is a critical partner. As Mayor, I will continue to be a vigorous advocate for Saint Paul’s public schools. But the city can do much more. Ensuring that each child has the best opportunity to succeed starts in the classroom but goes far beyond – libraries and parks are places to learn and grow and each child should have access to safe places to play and learn outside of the classroom. I served on the Saint Paul Schools Foundation and is the proud parent of four children who attend our public schools. As Mayor, I will bring the strength of the Mayor’s office and Saint Paul’s city resources to develop partnerships between schools, parks, and libraries and make a difference for our children.

Additional themes

Harris' campaign website included the following themes:

“	Public Safety for All Our Police and Fire departments in Saint Paul are the best in the state and our public safety professionals are among our top civic assets. But every day is different and our officers need to address crime wherever it happens. All of our residents and visitors need to be confident that the law is enforced with integrity across the city. Pat was a leader on the City Council in community policing and he is committed to ensuring that Saint Paul has a police department that reflects our diverse communities, keeps its long-time commitment to community policing, and enforces the law with compassion. Public Education That Serves All Students Saint Paul’s public schools are critical to our future – every student should have access to a world-class education. The city is a critical partner. As Mayor, Pat will continue to be a vigorous advocate for Saint Paul’s public schools. But the city can do much more. Ensuring that each child has the best opportunity to succeed starts in the classroom but goes far beyond – libraries and parks are places to learn and grow and each child should have access to safe places to play and learn outside of the classroom. Pat has served on the Saint Paul Schools Foundation and is the proud parent of three children who attend our public schools, with a fourth starting in the Fall. As Mayor, Pat will bring the strength of the Mayor’s office and Saint Paul’s city resources to develop partnerships between schools, parks, and libraries and make a difference for our children. Equity and Opportunity Despite the efforts of many leaders, racial and economic disparities persist in our city. Closing the achievement gap in our schools and promoting economic development with our communities of color will be a top priority. As Mayor, Pat will bring together community members, advocates, and business leaders to make sure no one in our city is left behind. Creating Jobs and Promoting Economic Growth This single best thing we can do to help Saint Paul families is make it easy for residents to get a job with a living wage. Saint Paul needs to recommit to attracting, growing, and preserving jobs in the city. We need to make it easier to start and run professional, manufacturing and service businesses in our city. That means more efficient licensing and permitting, investing in infrastructure, facilitating connections and leveraging our anchor institutions. We will create opportunities for job seekers, increase economic activity and increase city resources by growing the commercial, industrial, and sales tax base. Pat’s bold access to capital program is industry-leading and his deep financial background will create instant momentum in these important efforts for our future. An Affordable City that WORKS for Everyone Saint Paul should provide libraries, parks, public safety, and other basic services to every one of its community members without overburdening its citizens with excessive taxes. From the senior struggling to keep up with increased taxes, to the young couple in their first home, to the family who just purchased their dream home- residents need the city to be affordable. By rebuilding the city’s commercial tax base to ease pressure on Saint Paul homeowners, Pat plans to bring smart budgeting back to the forefront of the conversation. Saint Paul residents deserve to have reliable and equitable city services for everyone. Pat spent 12 years on the City Council as its foremost expert on the City Budget. Pat has worked in government finance for nearly two decades and is the right leader for this time. Enhancing Our Parks and Libraries Parks and libraries are a key amenity for Saint Paul’s residents. They add significantly to our quality of life and set our City apart. During Pat’s 12 years on the City Council, he made this a major focus. He led large renovations of many facilities, oversaw new playgrounds, and created the Saint Paul Library Board to secure the future of the libraries. The Friends of the Library now have an award for service known as the Pat Harris Award. Pat will continue his nationally recognized service to libraries and work to modernize the City’s rec centers and build full-scale community centers in all areas of the City.	”
—Pat Harris (2017)

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Pat Harris Mayor of St. Paul. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Pat Harris (Minnesota) - Google News

See also

St. Paul, Minnesota	Minnesota	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

• Mayor of St. Paul
• Campaign website