An Interview with Emily Larson

In November Duluth elected it's next mayor.  Emily Larson is the first female mayor in Duluth's history.  She was inaugurated two weeks ago today and has already started working on moving towards her goals in the short time she's been running the city.

I was lucky enough to get an interview with Mayor Larson shortly after she was elected for the Generation W newspaper out of Virginia.  We corresponded over email for a few days and this was the result.  Larson is pretty inspiring for politicians everywhere, and I hope that this article might inspire you.  Happy Reading! ~ DJ Rollie D

           Don Ness has been the Mayor of Duluth since January of 2008.  Coming in as one of the youngest mayors ever people wondered what type of progress would happen while he was in office.  Their questions were soon answered, as Ness made monumental forward movement during his first term in office and quickly garnered the support of many, which led to him running unopposed for his second term in 2011.  And then there was even more forward momentum.  A good example would be all of the new businesses popping up to call Duluth home.  During Ness’ second term we were also named Outdoor Magazine’s “Best Outdoor City”, and that one fits the city perfectly.

                After everything Ness has accomplished in his two terms, there was some sadness in the air when he announced in October of 2014 that he would not be seeking a third term and would be “retiring from office”.  Duluth citizens, as well as people throughout the Northland, wondered who would hold the office next, and what they would bring to the position.

              Enter Duluth City Council President Emily Larson, who entered the race because she wanted to see economic development continue in Duluth while making sure the needs of Duluthians don’t go unchecked.

                “The next chapter for Duluth needs to be strategic and inclusive” said Larson in an interview over email recently.  “We also need to make sure the needs of our neighbors and neighborhoods aren’t being left behind as we continue with economic development”.  Larson hopes to balance the two variables out during her first four years in office.

                When asked if she feels that she has big shoes to fill coming behind Ness, Larson said that she “Never worries about following in someone else’s shoes” and that “Duluth will really continue to benefit from Don’s work”.  Larson also says that when it all boils down, each Duluth Mayor has their own vision and style, and she’s ready to get into office and let the community come to know of “all of the great things we will accomplish together.” 

                Some of the things Larson would like to see accomplished in her first term include broadening Duluth’s city housing-portfolio throughout the neighborhoods, as well as neighborhood and income equity.  She would also like to take care of the city’s infrastructure, including streets and roads.  There are also lots of businesses in town growing rapidly, and Larson wants to work with the city to give them the best support they possibly can, and that includes the multiple new businesses on the River Corridor.  There’s also $50 million in bonding projects to pitch to the MN State Legislature.

 

                “It’s a job that never involves standing still, and that’s good because I like to keep moving” said Larson about the numerous tasks she will have oversight on during her first term.

                Larson won the election on Tuesday November 3^rd with 72% of the vote, defeating opponent Chuck Horton by quite a large margin, something that she received word of with lots of absolute joy as well as a feeling of relief.

                “Campaigns are so incredibly hard.  You put yourself out there in a very public way, and lots of people that you don’t want to let down have put their confidence in you.  Celebrating with my most favorite people in the world while you find out you won every precinct in the city and knowing that you’re the first women to hold an office historically held by men all helped to make Election Night pretty amazing.” 

                Although nervous on Election Day, Larson made sure to go into each day prepared and confident about the outcomes as well as the “dozens of variables you can’t control”.   She also went into each day knowing that she and her campaign staff had done their work as a campaign.

                “Your mind finds the vulnerabilities and shines a bright spotlight on them”, says Larson.

                Larson thanks her family for reminding her every single day about what’s important and for taking care of her and her family throughout the duration of the campaign, as well as her campaign manager Phil, who is “magic”.  She also thanks her endorsing partners, calling them “incredible” for supporting her every day of her campaign.  Lastly, she thanks the voters who put forth their ballots with the circle next to Larson’s name filled in. 

                To everyone, Larson says the following on becoming Duluth’s next Mayor:

                “It’s not my new job title, it’s being real and present to the things going on around you”

                Things in Duluth look to continue growing under the leadership of Larson, and it’s going to be interesting to watch what happens with Duluth over the next few years. 

                I would like to congratulate Emily Larson on being elected, and thank her for taking the time to answer my questions for this article.