Charles Stenvig

Charles A. Stenvig (January 16, 1928 – February 22, 2010) served as mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota for two two-year terms from 1969 to 1973 and a third term from 1976 to 1978. He was a police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department before and after serving as mayor. Stenvig was an independent politician who espoused a "law and order" platform amid the social unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was compared to other law-and-order mayors such as Sam Yorty of Los Angeles and Philadelphia's Frank Rizzo. As of 2020, he is the last mayor of the city who was not from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party (with the exception of Richard Erdall, who served for one day: December 31, 1973).

Charles Stenvig
39th Mayor of Minneapolis
In office
July 6, 1969 – December 31, 1973
Preceded byArthur Naftalin
Succeeded byRichard Erdall
42nd Mayor of Minneapolis
In office
January 1, 1976 – December 31, 1977
Preceded byAlbert Hofstede
Succeeded byAlbert Hofstede
Personal details
Born(1928-01-16)January 16, 1928
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedFebruary 22, 2010(2010-02-22) (aged 82)
Sun City, Arizona, U.S.
Alma materAugsburg College
Professiondetective, police officer

Biography

Stenvig was born in Minneapolis in 1928. Growing up in South Minneapolis, he attended Roosevelt High School, where he won a Minnesota state high school boys' golf championship. Stenvig graduated from Augsburg College with a degree in sociology. He then joined the Minneapolis Police Department, working his way up to the rank of detective with the burglary squad, before entering Minneapolis politics.

In 1969, Stenvig entered the mayoral election as an independent candidate. DFL Mayor Arthur Naftalin had declined to run for a fifth term and the race for the open seat attracted several candidates. Stenvig ran an unconventional campaign that relied on limited funds and volunteer labor. After winning a three-way primary election, forcing out DFL candidate Gerard Hegstrom, he went on to defeat the Republican candidate, 7th Ward alderman and Council President Dan Cohen in the general election. Stenvig received 62% of the vote in the election, surprising many veteran political observers in the city.[1] He was reelected in 1971, defeating DFL candidate W. Harry Davis by a wide margin. In the 1973 election, Stenvig lost to DFL candidate Albert Hofstede. He won back the mayor's office in a 1975 rematch with Hofstede, then lost to Hofstede again in 1977. In 1978, he lost the Republican primary for Minnesota secretary of state. In 1979, Stenvig ran again for mayor and lost to Donald M. Fraser. In 1982, he ran for Hennepin County Sheriff and lost.

In 1981, Stenvig and members of his family appeared on an episode of the game show Family Feud, where they faced the Tuck family. The Stenvig family lost 422–0.

After retiring from the police department, Stenvig moved to Arizona around 1990 and died there on February 22, 2010.[2]

References
  1. Finlay Lewis, "Detective's 61.8% of Vote Beats Cohen," Minneapolis Tribune, June 11, 1969.
  2. Bob von Sternberg (February 23, 2010). "Charles Stenvig, three-term Minneapolis mayor, dies in Arizona". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
Political offices
Preceded by
Arthur Naftalin		 39th Mayor of Minneapolis
1969–1973		 Succeeded by
Richard Erdall
Preceded by
Albert Hofstede		 42nd Mayor of Minneapolis
1976–1977		 Succeeded by
Albert Hofstede
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