Conrad Zbikowski announces his candidacy for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3
Contact: [email protected]
This morning, Conrad Zbikowski announced his candidacy for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3 against first-term incumbent Council Member Michael Rainville.
Zbikowski released the following statement:
“I am incredibly excited to launch our campaign for City Council. The last three years have been grueling and divisive. Rainville has pitted neighbors against neighbors and only divided Ward 3 further. But we can have a fresh start for a new Ward 3. I have lived here and organized this community for over 10 years, and I am looking forward to meeting all my neighbors all over again in these next weeks before the Minneapolis DFL Caucus and into the general election as we invite everybody to an inclusive vision for Ward 3.”
Meet Michael Rainville
Rainville was the subject of controversy earlier this summer following a series of racist remarks. Four days after the chaos of the Fourth of July, Rainville made a series of public and private remarks tying the chaos — without evidence — to the Muslim and East African communities. On July 8, at a community meeting about public safety, Rainville said, “I am going over to the mosque in Northeast to meet with some Somali elders and tell them that their children can no longer have that type of behavior.” Conrad and dozens of fellow residents were in the room when Rainville said “95 percent of them [perpetrators] are Muslim.” Many residents and fellow elected officials found these comments to be racist. To this day — November 10, 2022 — Rainville has not made a public, heartfelt apology, nor held a listening session with the community on the harm the remarks have caused as the Minneapolis Legislative Delegation and fellow Council Members called for, nor taken anti-racism training as requested by fellow Council Members.
In his role as quasi-judicial Commissioner on the City Planning Commission, Rainville has frequently put his own “conscience” ahead of the legality of housing developments in his Ward 3 with the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. At the Planning Commission meeting of October 17, Rainville said in regards to the 613 Van Buren St NE development in Ward 3, “They're [the developers] only doing what the law allows them to do. So you we have to vote our conscience. We have to vote the law. And I am going to be voting against this project.” The 613 Van Buren St NE project passed with full approval on all items. At the Planning Commission meeting on November 1, Rainville tied a proposed Hennepin County development of deeply affordable housing — without evidence — to an increase in crime in the neighborhood. In fact, study after study finds that housing affordability and stability increases neighborhood safety. Rainville said on the 925 4th St SE project in Ward 3, “Are you aware of all the crime that’s in, plaguing that area?” Rainville made a motion to delay the project until the concerns about crime could be addressed, even though the neighborhood association of Marcy-Holmes had found no objection to the project among neighbors.
Meet Conrad Zbikowski
Zbikowski serves Ward 3 and Minneapolis as a community activist. Zbikowski worked with student government during a crime wave in the University area in 2013. Zbikowski collaborated and led with the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association to approve and fund a MPD substation in the Mill District like we have in Central Hennepin.
In 2021, as Minneapolis DFL Operations Director, Zbikowski led the technical aspects of Minnesota’s first contactless caucus and convention that saved lives before covid vaccines were readily available to all Minneapolis residents. With a more accessible process, the Minneapolis DFL more than doubled turnout and had the most equitably represented city convention ever.
Now Zbikowski is bringing that same can-do, “get stuff done” mindset to the Minneapolis City Council. Zbikowski is already collaborating with Council Members and testifying at Council and Planning Commission meetings. Working with Neighbors for More Neighbors, Zbikowski is a leader in defending the consensus Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan that legalized more housing citywide. Zbikowski gets the work done.
In his professional life, Zbikowski has worked for marketing agencies, at Apple, currently as a contractor with the City of Minneapolis, and is a local Ward 3 small business entrepreneur with Conrad LLC.
Zbikowski is seeking the endorsement of Minneapolis DFL members in Ward 3. To best support Minneapolis DFL, Zbikowski is resigning as Minneapolis DFL Operations Director effective at the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, November 14 at 8 pm. He is committed to ensuring the next Operation Director is fully supported with a smooth transition.