Susan Allen Candidate Minnesota House-Dist 61B Special Election
Political newcomer Susan Allen has been fighting for social and economic justice her whole life. Susan grew up in poverty living on various Indian reservations and in cities with large Native American populations. While raising her son as a single parent, she put herself through law school to become a voice for those most in need of an advocate. She now works as a tax attorney and an attorney for tribal governments. Susan serves on the board of five community-based nonprofit organizations which do things like provide affordable housing to people living with HIV/AIDS and create access to healthy, organic foods to urban low-income people. If elected, Susan Allen will be the first Native woman ever elected to the MN State House of Representatives.
Term Length: 2 Years
Election Date: Special Election to be Announced
Website: http://susanallen61b.com/
Audrey Britton Candidate Minnesota House-Dist 43A
Audrey Britton is a candidate for State House, running against Republican Sarah Anderson. Committed to representing the values and integrity of Plymouth, Britton has the experience and integrity to pull together a winning campaign. As a small business owner for 5 years in Plymouth and a community volunteer, Britton fully understands the challenges Minnesotans face on a day to day basis. She has a Master’s Certificate from the University of St. Thomas in business communications and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of St. Benedict in English and Political science. She also consults with clients on marketing, communications and public relations. Britton is also a member of a newly formed group exploring bullying in schools, volunteers with Plymouth’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program, is a World Vision Sponsor, a Habitat for Humanity onsite worker, a Big Sister/Big Brother sister and a Special Olympics athlete escort.
Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://brittonforhouse.org/
Marion Greene DFL-Dist. 60A
Representative Greene is serving her first term in the MN House. She has previous campaign and political experience, including working as campaign manager for Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Greene is a manager for Health Policy and Reimbursement at St. Jude Medical and hopes to bring her financial know-how and knowledge of health care to the House.
First Elected: 2010
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: www.mariongreene.org
Mindy Greiling DFL-Dist. 54A
Representative Mindy Greiling was elected to her 10th term in the Minnesota House in 2010, where her focus is education. Awarded Legislator of the Year in 2008 by the Minnesota School Boards Association, she seeks to ensure adequate funding and demands accountability through meaningful academic standards. She has also been a leader in the improvement of Minnesota’s mental health system, authoring mental health reform legislation in 2007 that resulted in the single best funding year for mental health in the state’s history.
First Elected: 1992
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.mindygreiling.org
Laurie Halverson Candidate for 38B
Laurie Halverson is a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives district 38B. Currently, Halverson serves as the chair of the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission for the City of Eagan, a position to which she was appointed in 2006 by the city council. She is also the incoming vice-chair of the Eagan Foundation, and a former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota employee, where she worked in public affairs, focusing on civic engagement initiatives and grassroots programs. Halverson is a long-time DFL volunteer, and has been active with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and the Citizens league. As a State Representative, Halverson would work on improving the lives of girls and women through ending domestic violence and sex trafficking, as well as ensuring that women have affordable access to all reproductive health services.
Election Date: 11/6/2012
Melissa Hortman DFL-Dist. 47B
Representative Melissa Hortman was just re-elected to her fourth term in District 47B. She currently serves on the Energy Finance and Policy Division, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, and the Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division committee amongst others. Her number one priority in the 2010 legislative session was jobs and the economy. If re-elected, Hortman will prioritize protecting health care rights for women.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.melissahortman.com/
Phyllis Kahn DFL-Dist. 59B
Serving her 20th term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Representative Kahn has over three decades of experience in Minnesota politics. Her legislative interests include pension and investment policy, science and technology information policy, natural resources and women’s rights. The chief author of the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act, she is also an outspoken advocate for park, trail, and historic preservation funding.
First Elected: 1972
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.phylliskahn.com
Kate Knuth DFL-Dist. 50B
Representative Kate Knuth is serving her third term in district 50B. She currently serves on the Commerce and Labor, Energy Finance and Policy, and Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committees. In the 2010 legislative session, Knuth prioritized working with bi-partisan partners to balance the Minnesota budget. She was the chief author of the Toxic Free Kids Act, legislation that moves Minnesota toward a comprehensive approach to reducing toxic chemicals in children’s products. Knuth will prioritize partnering with communities, businesses, and schools to improve our economy now and lay the ground work for Minnesota’s economic strength in the future.
First Elected: 2006
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.kateknuth.org
Carolyn Laine DFL-Dist. 50A
Laine was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006 and has served on several Legislative Committees including the E-12 Education, Early Childhood Learning Finance Division, Housing Policy and Finance and Public Health Finance Division. She has been an advocate for women’s reproductive rights and has successfully carried legislation to give women the right to have a doula continuously with them during labor and delivery in a hospital. With a strong background in Finance, Laine hopes to address the current budget deficit by educating constituents about cuts, shifts, raising revenue, and reform in government spending.
First Elected: 2006
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.carolynlaine.com
Tina Liebling DFL-Dist. 30A
Rep. Tina Liebling is currently serving as a fourth term incumbent in district 30A. As a champion of health care reform, Liebling is a member of two committees focusing on health care and is endorsed by the MN Medical Association. Rep. Tina Liebling strongly supports providing health care insurance to all Minnesota residents. Liebling is a strong advocate for Minnesota families and was named a "Legislative Children's Champion" in 2005-2006 by the Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.tinaliebling.org
Diane Loeffler DFL-Dist. 59A
Representative Dianne Loeffler is currently serving her fourth term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. With a strong background in finance and a progressive vision for the state, Loeffler’s top priorities include education, job creation, and the environment. She has been a leader recruiting more women as candidates for public office and has been a mentor that engages and challenges young women to participate in the political process.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.dianeloeffler.com
Sandy Masin, Candidate-Dist.38A
Sandy Masin is running for the House of Representatives in District 38A, which she held from 2007 until 2010. Masin also served on the Eagan City Council from 1993 through 2000, and has been very active throughout her community. She has served as Chair of the Suburban Transit Authority, and has been a member of the Communication Committee for ISD #191, the Community Education Advisory Committee, and much more. As a legislator, Masin will work to protect women’s access to good health programs, and to aid the spouses of disabled veterans.
First Term: 2006-2010
Term Length: 2 Years
Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: www.masin4rep.com
Rena Moran DFL-Dist. 65A
Representative Moran is currently serving her first term in the MN House. Ten years ago, Rena moved to the Twin Cities in search of a better life for her kids. Homeless, she and her children stayed in a shelter for several months. In record time she found a job, an apartment and her calling as a community organizer. Rena became a Wellstone Organizing Fellow and was quickly hired on by Urban Embassy, where she would go on to lead the efforts to engage the African-American community during the 2008 election. Rena is only the second African American woman to be elected in the History of the Minnesota Legislature.
First Elected: 2010
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: www.vote4rena.org
Erin Murphy DFL-Dist. 64A
With healthcare as her number one priority, Representative Murphy passed reform legislation to slow the growth of healthcare costs. She also sponsored legislation which standardized the training of long term care workers and is a member of the Governor’s Commission on long term care for Veterans and the Minnesota Veterans Home.
First Elected: 2006
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.neighborsformurphy.com
Kim Norton DFL-Dist. 29B
Representative Kim Norton is serving her fourth term in district 29B. She currently serves on the Bioscience and Policy and Oversight Division, Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight, and Higher Education Services Policy and Oversight committees amongst others. In the 2010 legislative session, Norton prioritized policy work around education, including authoring a bill that provided $850 million in new funding for Minnesota Schools. If re-elected, Norton will prioritize fair and appropriate funding mechanisms for Minnesota Schools, access to quality affordable health care, and strengthening the job climate in Minnesota.
First Elected: 2006
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.kimnorton.org
Sandra Peterson DFL-Dist. 45A
Rep. Sandra Peterson is serving her fourth term in the Minnesota House. Her current committee assignments include Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division, Health Care and Human Services Finance Division, and K-12 Education Policy and Oversight. Her legislative emphasis has focused on early childhood education. She led an effort to create a State Advisory Board ensuring all children in Minnesota attend kindergarten by 2020. She also co-authored a bill to not only stabilize but increase the Governor’s education funding suggestions.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.sandrapeterson.org
Jeanne Poppe DFL-Dist. 27B
Representative Jeanne Poppe is currently serving her fourth term in District 27B. She is currently the Vice Chair of the State and Local Government Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee, and serves on the Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division, and Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division committees among others. In the 2010 legislative session, Poppe prioritized higher education funding, rural economic development including bio-science and agriculture, and civic and community engagement. If re-elected, Poppe will prioritize reducing the cost of higher education, improving health care access, and finding safe and affordable housing options.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.jeannepoppe.org
Shannon Savick Candidate for 24B
Shannon Savick is a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 24B. Savick is the former Mayor of Wells, Minnesota, a position she was elected to after having served two years on the Wells City Council. In addition to her political experience, Savick has spent years working in business, instilling in her the strong belief that women must receive equal pay for equal jobs. As a former member of the National Organization of Women, Savick is a firm proponent of women’s rights.
First Elected: N/A
Term Length: 2 Years
Election Date: 11/6/2012
Bev Scalze DFL-Dist. 54B
Representative Bev Scalze is currently serving her fourth term in district 54B. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Capital Investment Finance Division, and serves on the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, Health Care and Human Services Finance Division Committees, among others. In the 2010 legislative session, Scalze prioritized policy work directed at creating solutions for the Minnesota Budget. She co-authored and passed nation-leading health care reform that will provide accessible, affordable insurance coverage to more Minnesotans. If re-elected, Scalze will prioritize finding health care solutions for more women.
First Elected: 2004
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.bevscalze.org
Nora Slawik DFL-Dist. 55B
Representative Slawik is currently serving her seventh term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In the 2010 session, Slawik’s legislative focus was on job creation, supporting local businesses, maintaining health care, and strengthening public safety and domestic violence initiatives. Throughout her tenure in the House, Slawik has been a champion for Early Childhood Education, and serves as the Chair of the Early Childhood Finance and Policy committee.
First Elected: 1996 (Not all terms served consecutively)
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.noraslawik.com
Linda Slocum DFL-Dist. 63B
This session, Representative Slocum authored a major bill requiring large airline corporations to fulfill financial obligations to state tax-payers. She also co-authored a bill establishing reproductive privacy rights for women, ensuring the rights of all women to choose or refuse birth control and prohibiting state interference with women's reproductive choice.
First Elected: 2006
Term Length: 2 Years
Re-Election Date: 11/6/2012
Website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?district=63B
