Rybak to speak at candidates' forum tonight

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will speak at a neighborhood meeting Monday night, marking one of the few times the mayor has appeared with other candidates since the field of 10 challengers was established after the filing deadline closed this summer.

Rybak is running for a third term as mayor, and faces nine challengers in the Nov. 3 election.

Rybak and the other candidates will speak at the Lyndale Neighborhood Association meeting. The mayor will speak for about 10-15 minutes, according to a campaign official.

The association's Web site does not list Rybak as a speaker, and the campaign did not announce the mayor's appearance until Monday afternoon.

Rybak's challengers have criticized the mayor for not participating in voter forums. However, the League of Women Voters, the organization that typically sponsors mayoral debates and forums chose not to this fall.

The meeting will be held at Painter Park's recreation center, at 620 W. 34th St., from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rybak will speak at 7:30 p.m., a campaign official said.