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The results of Tuesday nights municipal elections saw union-backed candidates, women, and people of color surge to victory. School levies across the state were also the big winner.
In response, Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota DFL, released the following statement.
By recruiting and supporting talented up-and-coming leaders, our party is able to build a bench of candidates to run for higher office and build support for progressive policies by enacting them on the local level. Our party is creating lasting political change by investing in candidates, campaigns, and grassroots organizing at the local level.
- In Duluth, Janet Kennedy, Duluth’s first African American city council member, was elected.
- Minnetonka elected their first African American city council member, Kissy Coakley.
- St. Louis Park elected their first Muslim and Somali city council member, Nadia Mohamed.
- In Bloomington, Tim Busse, Jenna Carter, and Dwayne Lowman won the mayor’s race and two city council races, respectively. These candidates won by wide margins despite serious GOP investment.
- In Ramsey County, candidate Nicole Frethem flipped a hotly contested County Commissioner seat by beating a well-known former state legislator. Frethem is the first woman and first DFLer ever to hold that seat on the Ramsey County Commission.
- St. Paul residents voted to continue organized garbage collection amid a contentions campaign.
- In Edina union-supported candidates took the top three spots, against well-funded more conservative candidates, including Lou Nanne III.
Voters across Minnesota, from Worthington to White Bear Lake, supported their local public schools by approving a large majority of school funding referenda, beating back a large influx of far-right money.
In Response Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota issued the following statement.
“The future of our state and its communities depends on strong public schools. The voters of Minnesota understand that and they’re willing to raise their own taxes to pay for them,” said Specht. “Tens of thousands of students will benefit from the new resources approved last night.”
“Unfortunately, every successful referendum shifts a little more of the burden for paying for public education to Main Street Minnesotans when the multi-millionaires and most powerful corporations already aren’t paying their fair share,” Specht said. “Every operating levy is a sign of policy failure at the state and federal levels. This is especially shocking when you remember the wealthiest few are enjoying massive tax breaks doled out by the federal government just two years ago.”
“Parents, educators and community members are joining together to demand the resources necessary to provide every child – no matter what they look like, where they were born, or their ZIP code – with a great education that prepares them for a successful life,” Specht said. “We saw it with referendums and school board races last night. We’re going to see it again on Election Day 2020.”