Minneapolis, June 26, 2025 via press release from the Peterson campaign
Tim Peterson has announced his candidacy for an at-large position on the Minneapolis Park Board. All of the 9 Park Board seats – 6 from districts, 3 at-large – are up for election this coming November.
Peterson, who grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from South High, has a long history as a Minneapolis Parks volunteer. He was a volunteer coach at East Phillips Park, and, along with Native Community leaders, taught dozens of teens the basics of mixed martial arts, and kickboxing for self-defense.
Growing up as a latch key kid in Matthews, Bracket and Longfellow Park neighborhoods during the rise of crime in the 1980s, Peterson credits the parks as “giving me a fighting chance. I am the one who made it. I now live with a park in my backyard as a reminder of this. It’s my obligation to serve the organization that raised me right, so other kids with challenges like I had will have a bright light to follow.”
A small business owner, Peterson is a much-decorated Minnesota National Guard sergeant. As owner of two gyms, his company sponsored Minneapolis Public School teams with thousands of dollars in free training each year.
If elected to the Park Board, Peterson’s priorities will be youth empowerment, clean water and energy, and new revenue streams.
Peterson has already gained endorsement by 50 community leaders. One notable endorsement is from past city council and school board member Don Samuels. In 2024 Peterson and Samuels were opposing candidates for DFL endorsement for Congressional District 5 seat. Though they competed for the same seat, they developed great mutual respect, enough that Samuels is supporting Peterson for the Park Board.
Peterson’s website is petersonforparks.com
