Roy Garza, who lost the 1989 race for city council in St. Paul by two votes and then continued to work as a community activist, died this week of injuries he received in a motorcycle accident.
He was 60.
He had suffered a stroke during his campaign to unseat Council Member Bill Wilson in the 1989 council race. When the recount confirmed that he lost by two votes, Garza quietly left the chambers and returned to the hospital for surgery to prevent another stroke.
Newly elected Mayor Jim Scheibel then hired Garza to work as city director of community services.
Interesting historical note: Current St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman was Garza's campaign manager in that race, in one of his earlier political endeavors.
Before running for office, Garza had been a United Way vice president, and he later worked in the state Employee Relations Department and then ran the Spanish Speaking Affairs Council until sexual harassment claims led to his resignation in 1995.
A funeral service for Garza will be held at noon Friday at Eagle Brook Church, 2401 E. Buffalo St., White Bear Lake.
Two Cities blog, which covers Minneapolis and St. Paul City Halls, is made possible in part by grants from The Saint Paul Foundation and the Carolyn Foundation.