Sharon Sayles Belton

Sharon Sayles Belton (born May 13, 1951) is an American politician who was the first African-American mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the first female mayor of the city. She was born in neighboring Saint Paul, Minnesota. Belton began serving on the Minneapolis City Council in the early 1980s, and represented the state at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, which saw Minnesota politician Walter Mondale nominated for President of the United States. She was on the council for ten years before winning the 1993 city election to become mayor. Her term lasted from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2001. To the surprise of many political observers, she was defeated by fellow Democrat R.T. Rybak.

External links

• HHH Institute of Public Affairs: Sharon Belton