BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott, who led the city through the aftermath of the police killing of Daunte Wright, has been defeated in his bid for reelection.
Per the Secretary of State’s Office, challenger April Graves won the mayoral election with 54% of the vote.
Graves has served on the Brooklyn Center City Council since 2015.
Elliott, who emigrated from Liberia as a child, became Brooklyn Center’s first Black mayor in 2018. His city was put in the national spotlight when officer Kim Potter shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. Potter said at trial she meant to fire her Taser and grabbed her gun instead. She was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 months in prison and eight months of supervised release.
In the days following Wright’s killing, Potter and Police Chief Tim Gannon both resigned. Earlier this year, Gannon filed a lawsuit against city officials, alleging they forced him to resign for not immediately firing Potter. Gannon, who is white, also alleged he was fired because of his race.
Wright’s girlfriend, Alayna Albrecht-Payton, has also sued the city. She was in the passenger seat when Potter shot Wright. Her lawsuit is seeking $150,000 in damages for the injuries she suffered from the crash and shooting. She also says she suffered PTSD from witnessing the killing.
About a month after Wright’s killing, Brooklyn Center passed a sweeping public safety resolution backed by Elliott. In the 2022 budget, the city allocated funds from the police department and elsewhere to pay for the new public safety initiatives.
