Wikipedia

Raymond Dehn

Raymond Howard Dehn (/diːn/ DEEN;[1] born September 14, 1957) is a Minnesota politician and community organizer who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he last represented District 59B in Minneapolis. He was a candidate for mayor of Minneapolis in 2017.

Raymond Dehn
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 59B district
In office
January 8, 2013 – January 5, 2021
Preceded byBobby Joe Champion (redrawn district)
Succeeded byEsther Agbaje
Personal details
Born (1957-09-14) September 14, 1957 (age 67)
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
Residence(s)Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota (BA, MArch)
Occupation

Early life and education

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Dehn grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in a working-class family. His father was a teamster, operating a forklift at a factory. His mother worked part-time at a company making toilet-paper wraps for American soldiers in Vietnam.[2] In 1976, at age 19, Dehn was convicted of a felony burglary.[2] He served seven months at the Hennepin County Workhouse and was released to a drug treatment program due to his cocaine addiction. He has been sober since his rehabilitation. In 1982, Dehn applied for and was granted a full pardon for his felony by the State of Minnesota.[3] He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude with a B.A. in architecture in 1993.[2] He continued his education and received his master's of architecture from the University of Minnesota in 1996.[4] In 2014, Dehn completed an Executive Education certificate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Dehn was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, and reelected in 2014, 2016, and 2018.[2] As of the 2019-20 biennium he served as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Elections, and is a member of the Capital Investment Division, Commerce Committee, and the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division.[5] As a state legislator, Dehn voted in favor of efforts such as HF 2091,[6] raising the minimum wage without tip penalties, and enacting Minnesota Statute 364.021,[7] legislation to Ban the Box.

In May 2020, Dehn lost the DFL endorsement to Esther Agbaje.[8] On August 11, 2020, Agbaje won the primary election.[9]

Minneapolis mayoral candidacy

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Dehn announced his candidacy for mayor on December 21, 2016.[10] On February 2, 2017, he hosted an official campaign kickoff at the Public Functionary in Northeast Minneapolis. On July 8, he received 32.44% of the delegate vote at the DFL Minneapolis City Convention, the highest percentage of the mayoral candidates.[11] None of the mayoral candidates received the 60% required for an endorsement at the convention.[12] Dehn was criticized by the Star Tribune for his call to disarm some Minneapolis police officers.[13] This call came from a statement Dehn made after the murder of Justine Damond in Minneapolis.[14][15][16] The Star Tribune previously criticized his affirmative response to a question posed at an event on May 23, 2017: "Will you commit not to veto any City Council action supported by Our Revolution Twin Cities?"[17]

In the November election, Dehn placed 4th in the first round, with 17.3% of the first-choice votes, and finished second in the fifth and final round, with 42.8% of the vote to winner Jacob Frey's 57.2%.[18]

References

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  1. ^ MNHouseInfo (2014-02-17). Informational interview with Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL-59B). Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  2. ^ a b c d "My Story". Raymond Dehn for Minneapolis. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  3. ^ "State lawmaker Raymond Dehn eyes Minneapolis mayoral seat". mndaily.com - The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  4. ^ "University of Minnesota College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture Commencement Program" (PDF). June 8, 1996. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "Raymond Dehn (DFL) 59B - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  6. ^ "HF 2091 Status in the House for the 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014)". www.revisor.mn.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  7. ^ "364.021 - 2016 Minnesota Statutes". www.revisor.mn.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  8. ^ "Veteran DFL lawmakers question virtual conventions after coming up short". Star Tribune.
  9. ^ "Esther Agbaje aims to be first Nigerian American in Minnesota legislature". 26 August 2020.
  10. ^ "State Rep. Raymond Dehn to run for mayor of Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  11. ^ "Minneapolis DFLers fail to endorse mayoral candidate". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  12. ^ "Minneapolis DFLers fail to endorse mayoral candidate". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  13. ^ "Editorial endorsement: Jacob Frey for Minneapolis mayor". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  14. ^ "Police reform debate surges in Minneapolis mayoral race after Justine Damond shooting". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  15. ^ Mullen, Mike. "Mayoral candidate Ray Dehn wants Minneapolis Police disarmed | City Pages". City Pages. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  16. ^ "Talking police reform, Minneapolis mayoral candidate Dehn looks to move beyond two words: 'disarm officers'". MinnPost. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  17. ^ "Co-govern? Make a no-veto promise? Minneapolis candidates face all kinds of questions". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  18. ^ "Home - Election Results".
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