Emmer Honors Retiring St. Cloud Mayor on U.S. House Floor

(WASHINGTON) -- Sixth District Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer took to the floor of the U.S. House this morning to honor St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.

Kleis is retiring as mayor after nearly 30 years in elected office service.

In his comments on the floor, the Republican Whip recognized Kleis for being "a public servant, a veteran, a small business owner, and my friend."

Emmer noted Kleis' passion for politics, his service in the United States Air Force and his work as a Congressional liaison at the Pentagon.

He also recognized Kleis' 10 years as a State Senator and his work as Minority Leader in the Minnesota Senate.

Get our free mobile app

But it's his work as a St. Cloud Mayor -- and his listening to constituents -- that Emmer highlighted.

"Dave is a customer service representative. During his 20 years as Mayor, he hosted over 1,000 town halls, including multiple 24-hour marathon town halls, and frequently invited residents to his home for dinner."

Emmer thanks Kleis for his work on infrastructure projects and the St. Cloud COP House.

Kleis announced he would not run for another term as mayor back in April.

Six people are running for that open seat.

SEE RELATED: WITH KLEIS NOT RUNNING, HERE ARE FIVE QUALITIES THE NEXT ST. CLOUD MAYOR SHOULD HAVE