Eric Roper
Columnist
News & PoliticsSince joining the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2009, Eric has covered the Twin Cities metro area, the city of Minneapolis, the state Legislature and Congress. Prior to becoming a columnist, he oversaw the Star Tribune's Curious Minnesota project and helped create the narrative podcast "Ghost of a Chance." He is a graduate of the George Washington University and lives in south Minneapolis. In his spare time, Eric is a hobbyist woodworker and old home DIYer. To follow Eric's work by email, sign up for his newsletter at startribune.com/roperalert.
Latest from Eric Roper
Roper: Delayed George Floyd Square decision came at a cost
Minneapolis finally agreed to a street plan after years of debate, but still has major decisions to make about the intersection.
December 17, 2025
Roper: Want to revive Uptown? Grab a ‘passport’ and show Hennepin Avenue businesses some holiday cheer
The “Holidays on Hennepin” program aims to draw traffic to the street after a lengthy road reconstruction.
December 12, 2025
Roper: Remembering ‘king of clubs’ Peter Hafiz, who built a Minneapolis nightlife empire
The namesake of Sneaky Pete’s, and owner of other landmarks like Deja Vu and Gay 90s, died recently.
December 5, 2025
Roper: Someone toppled George Washington five years ago. Are we ready to put him back up?
A statue of the first president never returned to a Minneapolis park after vandalism pushed him off a pedestal in 2020.
December 1, 2025
Roper: Public outcry might give new life to decaying, 136-year-old Minneapolis house
An 1889 home in northeast Minneapolis is in rough shape after years of vacancy. A proposal to demolish it incensed neighbors.
November 23, 2025
Roper: New ‘Ghost of a Chance’ podcast episode illustrates a community grappling with hard history
The six-part narrative podcast about the Robinsons, a Black couple who lived in Eric Roper’s south Minneapolis home, premiered earlier this year.
November 13, 2025
Roper: Jacob Frey can thank the far left for handing him another term
Frey was a vulnerable incumbent. But progressives banked on the wrong guy to beat him.
November 8, 2025
Roper: What a ward-to-ward Election Day bike ride taught me about Jacob Frey’s re-election
A whirlwind tour to precincts across the city illustrated why voters supported the mayor.
November 6, 2025
Roper: Despite critiques, ranked-choice voting is better than the alternatives
Because of RCV, Minneapolis’ mayoral election has produced four top candidates — and voters needn’t worry about spoilers.
November 1, 2025
Roper: How the ‘slate for change’ could upend the Minneapolis mayoral election
An alliance between Jacob Frey’s challengers may prove significant in the ranked-choice election.
October 29, 2025
Roper: Doomsday docs aside, Minneapolis’ lush urbanity makes it a special place to call home
The city blossoms in the warmer months, even when bad headlines drown out what makes it great.
October 14, 2025
Roper: Uptown-area council race is a microcosm of fractured Minneapolis politics
Lydia Millard is vying to unseat council Vice President Aisha Chughtai in Ward 10.
October 9, 2025
