Dan Cohen said today he is running for mayor, and will use the campaign to promote a downtown casino, end conflicts of interest on the city's planning commission, and take a stand against the "newspaper monopoly" in Minneapolis.

The former alderman from the 1960s is currently a member of the city's planning and charter commissions. He said he would run as an independent, days after the DFL convention ended with no endorsement of any of the six candidates competing for the party's backing.

"I stand for more jobs, not more taxes," Cohen said in a statement.

He said a casino would be a "huge job engine" for city residents, and criticized Mystic Lake Casino for fighting efforts to allow one. Cohen said bringing casino gambling downtown would pay off the "$350 million hole in the bucket of stadium debt" left after pull tab revenues significantly lagged what the state had projected.

Cohen also vowed to prohibit planning commissioners from having their private business dealt with by the planning commission, regardless of whether they disclose it and leave the room while the matter is considered.

Additionally, he criticized the Star Tribune for having a conflict of interest in having real estate dealings tied to the Vikings stadium, and called for greater transparency about the company's business interests.

"I stand for change," Cohen said.