Bob Long's Biography

Bob Long is a father, husband, lawyer, small business owner, entrepeneur, former City Councilmember and lifetime Democrat.

Currently a partner in the Kennedy and Graven law firm, Bob practices in the areas of municipal law, public finance, economic development and housing, and legislative representation. He is the city attorney for Mounds View and Cottage Grove, and serves as special legal counsel on economic development matters for numerous HRAs, EDAs, and port authorities. In addition to his legal work, Bob is the co-founder of Soccerdocs, the manufacturer of protective headgear for youth soccer players.

Prior to to his private endeavors, Bob served on the Saint Paul City Council from 1988 to 1994. While on the City Council, Bob was a tireless advocate for progressive issues while maintaining a reputation for being fiscally responsible. Bob was the chief author of Saint Paul's Comprehensive Child Care Ordinance; proposed a measure that resulted in Saint Paul's first women firefighters; was the chief author of Saint Paul's one-half cent sales tax that finances the STAR Neighborhood Development Program, the new River Centre and the city's portion of the new Xcel Energy Center; and worked with the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce in leading the effort to bring the Minnesota Children's Museum downtown. Bob was named Environmentalist of the Year by the Sierra Club in 1989 for his work on passing the Saint Paul plastics packaging ordinance. See more of Bob's Accomplishments.

From 1981 to 1982, Bob was staff aide to former St. Paul Mayor George Latimer. After clerking in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office during law school, he served as the first executive director of the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) an organization he co-founded. Bob has also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota in the Consumer Protection Division (1985 -1988).

Bob has been president of the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities (1991-1992) and chaired the Energy and Environment Resource Center Board (1992-1993). In 1992 and 1993, he was the Vice President of the Ramsey County League of Local Governments and the President of the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) from 1998-1999.

Bob has served as a board member on the Family Housing Fund, the Women's Advocate Shelter, Sounds of Hope and the Overnight Shelter Board. Bob is also a co-founder of the Ramsey County Gun Violence Action Team.

Bob Long lives in St. Paul with his wife Karen Sletten, an estate planning attorney, and their two children, Nick and Kate. In his spare time, Bob plays hockey with a men's league and coaches youth hockey and soccer for his son's and daughter's teams.

Feel free to call Bob at 651-690-1212 or email him at bob@longforsaintpaul.com.