Northern Minnesota is under a new alert until Friday at 7 p.m.

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

George Latimer is an iconic voice in Minnesota politics, and for some he is best known as a popular former mayor of Minnesota's capital city.

Latimer was St. Paul’s mayor from 1976 to 1990 and still holds the record for the longest- serving mayor in the city’s history. During his years in office, St. Paul underwent dramatic changes, including a downtown building boom.

But those accomplishments, while popular in St. Paul, weren’t enough to propel Latimer to victory when he sought the DFL nomination for governor in 1986. He lost the primary contest to Rudy Perpich.

Latimer went on to serve in the Clinton administration as an expert on housing and urban development, was later a professor at 

 and has advised many of his successors at city hall.

Latimer, 87, still holds court and is eager to talk politics from the comfort of his bedroom at a senior housing and care facility in St. Paul. Latimer has been laughing, joking and reflecting on his long political career.

On a special edition of Politics Friday, former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer talks to retired MPR News host 

Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on:

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Host

Author

On a special edition of Politics Friday, retired MPR News host Gary Eichten interviews the former mayor of St. Paul, George Latimer.

Politics Friday: A conversation with George Latimer, St. Paul’s longest-serving mayor

Go Deeper.

Like this?