Randy Kelly - 2005 Mayoral Race

2005 Mayoral Race

Kelly sought reelection in 2005 and narrowly avoided being dropped from the ballot in the September primary. Fellow DFLer Chris Coleman finished in first place with 52% of the vote, Kelly at 27%, and the Green Party candidate, Elizabeth Dickinson, at 20%. The top two finishers went on to the November general election, in which Coleman defeated Kelly 69% to 31%. This was only the third loss by an incumbent Saint Paul mayor, as well as the greatest percentage loss on record for an incumbent mayor in the city's history.

In the aftermath of the election, polling of city residents indicated that they were pleased with the direction in which the city was headed, which led political observers to conclude that Kelly's defeat was primarily due to his endorsement of the president a year earlier.