mn_gov_COLEMAN
ST. PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN
Age: 49 Born: August 17, 1949; Brooklyn, New York Education: University of Iowa, J.D. (1976); Hofstra University, B.A. (1971) Military: None Family: Married - Laurie; Two children Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota Religion: Jewish Career: Mayor of St. Paul (1994-present); MN Assistant Attorney General, including work as director of criminal division and solicitor general (1976-93) |
• Coleman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a family of eight children. His father had an electronics business, but it failed, and Coleman helped earn extra money by working at a soda fountain.
• He went to Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, where he earned a reputation as a campus radical and a vehement opponent of the Vietnam War. He spent his 20th birthday at Woodstock. Coleman began law school in Brooklyn, but transferred to the University of Iowa Law School. He received his J.D. from Iowa in 1976.
• After graduating from law school, Coleman moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota after securing a position in the attorney general's offices as a human rights lawyer. During his 17-year career in the attorney general's office, Coleman was promoted several times, eventually serving as Solicitor General and director of the Criminal Division. He also became an adviser and friend to Attorney General Hubert 'Skip' Humphrey.
• In 1989, the longtime mayor of St. Paul announced that he was not seeking re-election, and Coleman left the attorney general's office to run for the job. He launched a campaign for the DFL (Minnesota's Democratic Party) nomination, but the Party backed Jim Scheibel, a member of the City Council. When Scheibel decided not to run for re-election in 1993, Coleman was ready to go. Although the DFL again endorsed another candidate, State Rep. Andy Dawkins, Coleman won the primary and went on to be electe mayor.
• Although Coleman was a popular mayor, he angered Democratic constituencies by taking on the public employees union and refusing to sign Gay Pride proclamations. In 1996, he was booed at the DFL state convention. Coleman decided to change parties, and six months later, he officially joined the GOP. He was up for re-election in 1997, less than a year after he had switched parties. The DFL waged an aggressive campaign against him, but he won easily with 59% of the vote.