1997 Election results

See election results for 1997 local races.

November 4, 1997

General Election results

Mayor
CandidateVotesPercent
Sharon Sayles Belton 52,222 54.66%
Barbara Carlson 42,530 44.51%
Write-in 794 0.83%
Council Member Ward 1
CandidateVotesPercent
Paul Ostrow 4,577  61.59%
Carl E. Holmgren 2,841 38.23%
Write-in 14 0.19%
Council Member Ward 2
CandidateVotesPercent
Joan Campbell 3,367 79.06%
Sam Huston 813 19.06%
Write-in 79 1.85%
Council Member Ward 3
CandidateVotesPercent
Joe Biernat 3,467 76.60%
Fred H. Askew 1,029 22.74%
Write-in 30 0.66%
Council Member Ward 4
CandidateVotesPercent
Barbara A. "Barb" Johnson 4,461 68.33%
George Belmore 1,905 29.18%
Write-in 163 2.50%
Council Member Ward 5
CandidateVotesPercent
Jackie Cherryhomes 2,882 61.77%
Thomas Johnson III 1,762 37.76%
Write-in 22 0.47%
Council Member Ward 6
CandidateVotesPercent
Jim Niland 2,565 65.52%
Jim Graham 1,316 33.61%
Write-in 34 0.87%
Council Member Ward 7
CandidateVotesPercent
Lisa R. Goodman 4,799 54.01%
Robert Landis 4,067 45.77%
Write-in 20 0.23%
Council Member Ward 8
CandidateVotesPercent
Brian Herron 4,438 73.49%
Melanie Wade 1,575 26.08%
Write-in 26 0.43%
Council Member Ward 9
CandidateVotesPercent
Kathy Thurber 5,028 67.05%
Bob Odden 2,442 32.56%
Write-in 29 0.39%
Council Member Ward 10
CandidateVotesPercent
Lisa McDonald 4,492 57.48%
Neil Ritchie 3,285 42.03%
Write-in 38 0.49%
Council Member Ward 11
CandidateVotesPercent
Dore Mead 5,625 57.99%
Peter Koelz 4,054 41.79%
Write-in 21 0.22%
Council Member Ward 12
CandidateVotesPercent
Sandy Colvin Roy 5,620 58.89%
Jeff Paulson 3,899 40.85%
Write-in 25 0.26%
Council Member Ward 13
CandidateVotesPercent
Steve Minn 7,397 59.21%
Karen Wilson 5,081 40.67%
Write-in 15 0.12%
Board of Estimate and Taxation
CandidateVotesPercent
Gordon L. Nelson 41,098 39.40%
Wally Swan 36,546 35.03%
Ted Cabana 25,882 24.81%
Write-in 608 0.58%
Write-in 183 0.18%

Charter Amendment No. 145: Sports Facility Financing

The question read:

“Chapter 15, Section 13. Putting Professional Sports Facility Financing Before the Voters. The City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Community Development Agency, or any city department, agency, commission, or board, shall use no city resources over $10 million dollars for the financing of professional sports facilities without the approval of a simple majority of the votes cast on the question, in a ballot question put to the public at the next regularly scheduled election. City resources are defined for these purposes as: Tax increment financing, bonds, loans, land purchase or procurement, land or site preparation, including necessary infrastructure such as roads, parking development, sewer and water, or other infrastructure development, general fund expenditures, sales tax or other taxes, deferred payments, interest free or below market interest rate loans, the donation or below market value sale of any city resources or holdings or any other free or below cost city services. The ballot question shall not be put before the public in a special election, in order to prevent the costs associated with special elections.

Shall proposed Amendment No. 145 to the home rule Charter of the City of Minneapolis be adopted?”

Sports Facility Financing Question
AnswerVotesPercent
Yes 62,042 69.69%
No 26,986 30.31%

The amendment passed.

Charter Amendment No. 146: Amending the City Charter relating to Civil Rights Commission

The question read:

“Shall the home rule Charter of the City of Minneapolis be amended to subject all City employees and departments, including police officers and the Police Department, to the jurisdiction of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission?”

Civil Rights Commission Question
AnswerVotesPercent
Yes 55,207 65.20%
No 29,468 34.80%

The amendment passed.

Voter turnout statistics

General Election: November 4, 1997
Registered Voter Turnout 46.50%
Early Votes 2,499 
Total Votes 96,772 

Other election results

For complete results including School Board and Park & Recreation Board, see the 1997 General Election Official Canvass Report.

September 9, 1997

Primary Election results

There were primaries for Mayor, Council, Board of Estimate & Taxation, School Board and Park Board races.

For complete results, see 1997 Primary Election official canvass report.

Voter turnout statistics

Primary Election: September 9, 1997
Registered Voter Turnout 15.00%
Early Votes 866
Total Votes 30,032