Prettner Solon won't run for Duluth mayor, backs council president

Former Minnesota Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon said Tuesday she will not run for Duluth mayor and instead endorsed City Council President Emily Larson.

Prettner Solon was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in a special election in 2002 to replace her husband, Duluth DFLer Sam Solon, who died of cancer in 2001. She served as lieutenant governor in the first term of Gov. Mark Dayton but decided against seeking a second term when Dayton ran again.

In October, Duluth Mayor Don Ness announced he would not seek a third term running the city. That fueled talk Prettner Solon might seek the job.

On Tuesday, though, she backed Larson to be the next mayor. "I know that this will be a disappointment to the many, many people who have asked me to run," she said in a statement. "Politics is personal and I am so grateful for their support."

Prettner Solon said she will focus her efforts on "advancing an agenda that includes increasing investments in conservation, green energy, investing in our infrastructure and continuing Duluth's momentum."