Emily Koski
Term startJanuary 3, 2022
Term endJanuary 6, 2026
RelativesAlbert Hofstede (father)
Birth date1978 (age 48–49)
Birth placeMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Birth nameEmily Hofstede
OfficeMember of the Minneapolis City Council from the 11th Ward
PredecessorJeremy Schroeder
SuccessorJamison Whiting
PartyDemocratic
SpouseMike
EducationUniversity of Saint Thomas

Emily Hofstede Koski is an American businesswoman and politician from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Koski served on the Minneapolis City Council, representing the 11th Ward in South Minneapolis, from 2022 to 2026. She ran for mayor of Minneapolis in 2025, but withdrew from the race prior to candidate filing.

Early life and family

Koski was born in Minneapolis to Albert Hofstede, then the mayor of Minneapolis, and Barbara Hofstede. Her mother died of breast cancer when Koski was eight years old; her father remarried, and her stepmother adopted her.[1] Her father served as mayor for two terms, from 1974 to 1975 and from 1978 to 1979. Her aunt, Diane Hofstede, was a city council member from 2005 to 2013.[2] Diane Hofstede was defeated by Jacob Frey in 2013.[3] Her first job was at Target.[4]

Political career

Emily Koski began her political career with a run for Minneapolis City Council in 2021. During her 2021 campaign, she opposed rent control and proposals to replace the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) with a Department of Public Safety, positioning herself as a moderate in alignment with incumbent mayor Jacob Frey.[5] She was elected in the first round of ranked choice voting, defeating incumbent Jeremy Schroeder, who ran in favor of the ballot amendment replacing the MPD.[6][7][8] In her first term, Koski largely voted with the moderate majority alongside then-council president Andrea Jenkins and vice president Linea Palmisano.[9] One such vote was against a pause on homeless encampment evictions in 2022.[10]

Koski was re-elected in 2023 with 88.36% of the first-round vote against Socialist Workers Party candidate Gabrielle Prosser.[11] In the beginning of 2024, she became the vice-chair of the Budget Committee and of the Climate and Infrastructure Committee.[12]

In her second term, she gained attention as the council's most frequent swing vote.[13] Koski opposed some of Frey's positions: she opposed a set of police bonuses, opposed the relocation of the third police precinct to a downtown location,[14] and supported the redevelopment of the former Roof Depot site in the East Phillips neighborhood as an urban farm. [15] In March 2024, she changed her vote to support an ordinance establishing minimum wage for rideshare drivers, overriding Frey's veto.[16] That October, her letter criticizing the delayed MPD response to the shooting of a Minneapolis resident by his neighbor again broke with Frey and gained media attention.[17] By December, her vote was pivotal in overriding Frey's mayoral veto of the 2025 budget.[18] Frey-aligned PAC All of Mpls, which endorsed her past City Council campaigns, removed her from their marketing materials during this term.[19]

On December 4, 2024, Koski announced her candidacy for mayor in the 2025 mayoral election.[20][21] In her campaign, she has emphasized collaboration between the Mayor's office and the city council as a priority.[4] In April 2025, she announced she was dropping out of the mayoral race and would not run for re-election for city council. [22]

Personal life

Koski lives in South Minneapolis with her husband Mike.[1] She has two children.[19]

Electoral history

| colspan="5" |Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services[7]

| colspan="5" |Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services[11]

References

  1. ^ Mulrooney Eldred, Sheila (June 16, 2007). "Honoring two moms". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  2. ^ Kolls, Jay (November 23, 2021). "2 newly-elected Minneapolis City Council members have family roots at City Hall". KSTP News. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  3. ^ Helal, Liala (9 November 2013). "Defeated Minneapolis councilwoman: ‘A sense of anti-incumbency’". MPR News. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  4. ^ DeYoe, Alexandra (February 3, 2025). "Mayoral campaign Q&A with Emily Koski". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  5. ^ "'The eyes of the country will be on Minneapolis' | Political analyst predicts significant shift in city council after election". KARE news. December 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  6. ^ "What the Ward 11 results will tell us about the future of Minneapolis". Axios Twin Cities. 2021-10-13. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Minneapolis, City of (2022-11-15). "2021 Minneapolis City Council election results - Ward 11". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  8. ^ "Two Minneapolis City Council incumbents defeated in election defined by debate over policing, public safety". MinnPost. 2021-11-03. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Stokes, Kyle (May 2, 2023). "Who votes with whom on the Minneapolis City Council? As election season heats up, a look at the current balance of power". MinnPost. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  10. ^ Birnstengel, Grace (October 20, 2022). "Minneapolis City Council declines pausing homeless encampment evictions". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  11. ^ "2023 Minneapolis City Council election results". Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Minneapolis, City of (2024-01-08). "City Council organizes for new term". City of Minneapolis. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  13. ^ Stokes, Kyle (February 12, 2025). "How the Minneapolis City Council voted — and what it means for the mayor". Axios Twin Cities. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  14. ^ Stokes, Kyle (October 23, 2023). "Minneapolis’ Third Precinct dilemma: Will City Council members find a police station location before the election?". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  15. ^ Haltzer, Nick. "Emily Koski breaks from Mayor Jacob Frey as one of his top city council allies". Axios Twin Cities. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  16. ^ Galvan, Alfonzo (March 14, 2024). "In major victory for rideshare drivers, Minneapolis Council overrides mayor’s veto on minimum pay". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  17. ^ Godfrey, Courtney (October 29, 2024). "Minneapolis PD chief pledges full review of neighbor shooting". Fox 9 KMSP. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  18. ^ Timar-Wilcox, Estelle (December 12, 2024). "Minneapolis City Council overrides mayor’s veto of 2025 budget". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  19. ^ Cassel, Em (February 12, 2025). "Let’s Taco ‘Bout Politics: Racket’s Mayoral Mexican Food Interview With Candidate Emily Koski". Racket. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  20. ^ Nace, Aki (December 4, 2024). "Minneapolis City Councilmember Emily Koski announces mayoral run". WCCO News. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  21. ^ Winter, Deena (December 4, 2024). "Minneapolis City Council Member Emily Koski announces mayoral run". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  22. ^ Winter, Deena (14 April 2025). "Minneapolis Council Member Emily Koski drops out of mayoral race". Star Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2025.