Randy Kelly
| Randy Kelly | |
|---|---|
| 53rd Mayor of St. Paul | |
|
In office 2002–2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Norm Coleman |
| Succeeded by | Chris Coleman |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate for the 67th District |
|
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In office January 8, 1991 – January 2, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Marilyn Lantry |
| Succeeded by | Mee Moua |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 2, 1950 Rolette, North Dakota |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy Parrish |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | politician, legislator, computer technician |
| Religion | Catholic |
Randy Cameron Kelly (born August 2, 1950) is an American politician and the former mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
Born in the small town of Rolette, North Dakota, Kelly and his family later moved to Saint Paul, where he graduated from Harding High School, and the University of Minnesota.
Kelly served in the Minnesota Senate from 1991 to 2002, representing District 67 (covering most of Saint Paul's East Side), and in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1983 to 1991, representing districts 66B and, after redistricting, 67A. While in the legislature, he worked to reform Minnesota's criminal justice system, including creating a statewide criminal gang strike force, developing a four-year law enforcement degree, authoring many of the existing crime-victim and witness laws, and worked towards requiring sexual offender registration and community notification.
Kelly served as chair (2001) and a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, and was also a member of the Crime Prevention, Finance, and Telecommunications & Energy & Utilities committees. He was also a member of the Public Safety Budget Division subcommittee. Previously, in the Minnesota House, he had served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1991.
Kelly was the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota from January, 2002 through January, 2006. He won the office in 2001 by just 403 votes in a tight race with Jay Benanav, a city councilman. As mayor, he was noted for his efforts to increase the minimum wage and create and retain high-paying jobs.
During Kelly's term in office, his political views and several appointments generated controversy. In 2004, he rankled fellow Democrats by endorsing and campaigning for President George W. Bush's re-election. According to critics, his conservative views, which may have been intended to garner support from Republicans and independents, undermined his constituent base in the Democratic Party. An unsuccessful grassroots campaign to recall him was launched shortly after his announcement in support of Bush's re-election effort.
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