Thomas Randle ran for the St. Anthony City Council in the November 7 election; he received four percent of the vote. A month later he was sworn in as the newest city council member, and no one was more surprised than Randle himself.
Last August, council member Bonnie Brever, herself an appointee to fill a vacant seat in 2015, resigned. But, statutorily, there was not time to create another slot on the November ballot.
After the election, the four-member city council had a vacant seat, which the council decided would be filled by appointment. Three candidates applied. Psychologist Bibi Neumann, lawyer and activist Nancy Robinett (who lost her council bid by 18 votes), and Randle were interviewed. The council gave a unanimous nod to Randle, who was sworn in on December 12.
Randle said, “I went to the appointment meeting mostly out of curiosity, not expecting this outcome.” He added, “It’s only speculation on my part, but I think that I came with solutions, not agitation, and that may have been the turning point. The council had a rough couple of years and was looking to bring people together to help settle its issues. I think you have to be able to try to reach out to everyone, not just your own supporters.”
The 51-year-old Randle works for a property management company, and his wife, Jackie, was a 20-year pre-school teacher in the St. Anthony school district. They have lived in St. Anthony for two years, and their 12-year-old son, Joseph, attends St. Anthony Middle School. Randle has coached basketball through the St. Anthony Boosters program.
This was Randle’s first attempt to run for public office. Asked why he decided to run, he said, “Neighbors and friends convinced me that I could bring a different perspective and a different voice to the issues. After ‘considerable consideration’ I threw my hat in the ring.”
He also said that while he got a lot of positive support, he was dismayed at the amount of anonymous name-calling and racially-tinged messages he received during the campaign. Still, after his appointment, his son was “happy as all get-out.” Randle said his wife was a bit more reserved in her response. “But she came around because she believes in me and believes that I can do some good. We’re a family of faith and that’s how we live.” Randle is the city’s first African-American council member.
Randle said he appreciates the help he’s received from city officials, especially City Manager Mark Casey. He says his mailbox is filled with documents to read and appointments to schedule. He will attend a League of Minnesota Cities orientation meeting next week in Brooklyn Park, and he’s on several committees: the council liaison to the St. Anthony Parks Commission, the St. Anthony Sister City committee, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), and the Family Services Collaborative.
While city council members don’t serve geographical areas, they often have areas of focus. Randle said he would like to deal with racial equity, police reform, and the city’s vacant properties.
St. Anthony’s four council members are elected on an at-large basis to staggered four-year terms; Randle will serve out the remainder of Brever’s term, which is approximately two years. Asked if he might run again to gain the seat in his own right, Randle replied: “It depends totally on what I accomplish by the end of my term.”
Below: Thomas Randle (Photo by Mark Peterson)
