RT RYBAK won Minneapolis' Mayoral race with 70% of the vote. Here's what he thinks of today's politics.

Send us Fan MailNOTE: This interview was recorded on September 5, 2025. I'm so excited for you to see this conversation I had with RT Rybak. He was the mayor of Minneapolis for three terms — one of the most successful and popular politicians the city has ever seen. He won his third term with over 70% of the vote. And this is the kind of guy who was able to run a city while also hosting pajama parties at the airport to protest noise pollution.We got into a lot. RT talks about why he still goes to therapy after leaving office, and how being that close to the worst moments in the city — murder scenes, the bridge collapse, sitting with families of kids who'd been killed — leaves emotional barnacles that don't just go away. I wasn't expecting him to open up about that the way he did, and I think it's one of the most important parts of the conversation.We also got into the state of media (RT was a journalist before he was a politician), why he thinks the current fracturing of news might actually be a good thing, the night before the primary when he first let himself believe he might really become mayor of this city, what it was like to walk into office in deep financial trouble, and what he's doing now running the Minneapolis Foundation.We also got into where downtown Minneapolis goes from here — the empty office towers, the conversions to housing, and why he thinks winter might be our most underused asset.The conversation flowed by so quickly. I really enjoyed it. I think you will too.00:00 Intro, One Hour, No Edits01:48 “Disheveled” as a Media Strategy04:15 The Power of Authenticity in Politics08:23 Are TikTok Creators the New News Anchors13:10 R.T.’s Career from Journalist to Mayor17:00 Why He Ran for Mayor and Thought He’d Lose21:45 Pajama Party Protests and Playful Politics25:02 “I Was in Over My Head”30:30 Trauma, Therapy, and the Emotional Toll of Public Service36:12 The Cultural Shift in Minneapolis Politics39:50 Should Outsiders Run for Office44:10 How the Minneapolis Foundation Actually Works50:40 Donor-Advised Funds Explained Simply53:15 The Future of Minneapolis: Hope or Decline56:33 Downtown Real Estate Collapse and Reinvention59:58 Why Minneapolis Is Better Than Portland