Elliott Payne

Elliott Payne is an American politician and consultant serving as president of the Minneapolis City Council and representing Ward 1. A member of the DFL, he defeated the incumbent Kevin Reich in 2021 to become the first Black councilmember for Ward 1. Payne is now the first Black man to serve as council president.

Early life and education
Payne grew up on the north side of Milwaukee, raised by a single mother. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering at the University of Minnesota, then relocated to Northeast Minneapolis in 2005. Payne later received a master's degree in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management in 2010.

Early career
Payne began his career as an engineer then moved towards digital advertising and software design consulting. He worked briefly as an adjunct professor with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

In 2016, Payne joined the City of Minneapolis Office of Performance and Innovation, bringing his design focus to a municipal government role. In his time with the OPI, he consulted on alternative public safety responses and helped establish the Behavioral Crisis Response team.

Minneapolis City Council
Payne ran for city council in 2021. He opposed the more moderate incumbent Kevin Reich (DFL), presenting a progressive platform based on racial equity and an overhaul of policing. He was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2021. Payne won the council seat on the second round of ranked-choice tabulation with 50.2% of the vote. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2022.

In 2023, he won his re-election, taking 89.7% of the vote over challenger Edwin Fruit of the Socialist Workers Party. His re-election was part of a shift in the council's alignment: a left-wing coalition endorsed by Minneapolis for the Many and/or the Minneapolis DSA took a majority of city council seats. He was subsequently chosen as council president by a 10–3 vote in January 2024, serving alongside council vice president Aisha Chughtai. He also serves as the chair of the Settlement Agreement & Consent Decree Subcommittee and is a member of the Public Health & Safety Committee.

Personal life
Payne lives in the Audubon Park neighborhood of Minneapolis with his wife Lindsay. He is an avid cyclist and commutes to work via bicycle.