One 27-year-old man is stepping up to the plate to try and bring some youthful energy to the Albert Lea City Council.

During the filing period for elective office earlier this month, Freeborn County native Ryan Sabinish put in his bid for the 3rd Ward council seat. He will face Ellen Kehr, vice chairwoman of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency.

“I feel that there’s a generation that’s not being heard in the City Council that have real issues that need to be addressed,” Sabinish said.

Some of his hot-topic issues that need to be talked about, he said, are jobs and wasteful spending.

“I just feel that there’s too much wasteful spending,” he said. “And there’s not enough people on the City Council who really listen to what the people want.”

He said there’s too much caving in to spending, and council members don’t realize that if they say no to some of the smaller things, they could have more money for the bigger projects.

Sabinish, who returned to Albert Lea last July after serving 15 1/2 months in Iraq, said it has been suggested throughout the years for him to run for office. He’s always been talkative about political issues.

He has served five years with the Minnesota National Guard Alpha Company 134 BSB based out of Brooklyn Park and has one year left in his contract. He received a Purple Heart after he was wounded in the right arm when a roadside bomb exploded when he was in Iraq, and he also still suffers from a lot of joint pain, arthritis and headaches from injuries received while there.

“I just feel that we keep electing the same type of people to the Albert Lea City Council — that we really truly need something new, something different, somebody young that has energy to go out and listen to the people and listen to what their issues are,” he said. “That’s what I hope to achieve.”

He is attending Riverland Community College with the goal of achieving a business degree. He is an Albert Lea High School graduate.

Prior to his deployment, he worked at the Soymor plant in Glenville. After he returned home, he was one of 31 people to be laid off when the company suspended it’s operations.

He said he’s in the process of getting campaign signs and brochures made up and is excited to get out and meet people.

“I look forward to campaigning and going door to door, listening to what people say and addressing their issues,” he said.

He is the son of Richard and Carolyn Sabinish of Albert Lea.