Karla Bigham (DFL-57A)
Nearing the end of her first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Karla has focused her attention on education and healthcare. She supported an increase in state funding for Minnesota schools and a health care reform package to lower the cost of health care. The co-author of numerous environmental policies, Representative Bigham continuously supports initiatives to ensure environmental sustainability.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.karlabigham.com
Robin Brown (DFL-27A)
An art and photography teacher originally from Austin, MN, Representative Brown spent her first term in the House authoring bills concerning Health Care and Education. Most recently, Brown voted in favor of Minnesota’s withdrawal from No Child Left Behind.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Julie Bunn (DFL-56A)
Representative Bunn is running her campaign on the platform to make high-quality education a top priority in Minnesota. She supports programs to provide stable funding for public education, keep public higher education costs down, and demand accountability in the public school system. Representative Bunn also continues to work to insure accessible and affordable health care statewide and to keep taxes down.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.juliebunn.com
Marion Greene (DFL-60A)
Marion is a first time candidate running for 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.
Contact: E-mail
Website: www.mariongreene.org
Mindy Greiling (DFL-54A)
Running for her 9th term in the Minnesota House, Mindy Greiling’s 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: 9th
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.mindygreiling.org
Katie Hatt (DFL 60A)
Katie is a first time candidate running for the MN House. She currently serves as the Principal Aide to Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, and has broad experience volunteering for political campaigns on the city council, county commission, and state legislative candidate level. Hatt is passionate about advocating for women's issues in office, and believes her experience working with various levels of government and community-based organizations will help build the coalitions necessary to advocate these policy objectives in a challenging budget climate.
Contact: E-mail
Website: www.katiehatt.org
Melissa Hortman (DFL-47B)
Nearing the end of her second term in the Minnesota House, Representative Hortman’s priorities are education and the environment. She supports an increase in stable K-12 education funding, and urges state investment in higher education that will keep tuition affordable. A long outspoken advocate for the Northstar Commuter Rail Line, Rep. Hortman believes 25% of Minnesota’s energy can and should be renewable by 2025.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.melissahortman.com
Phyllis Kahn (DFL-59B)
Serving her 18th term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Representative Kahn has over three decades of experience in Minnesota politics. Her legislative interests include issues dealing with 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: 19th
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.phylliskahn.com
Kate Knuth (DFL- 50B)
Representative Knuth holds a Masters in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management from Oxford University and puts it to good use as she makes Environmental sustainability her number one issue. This last session she authored the legislation which gave Minnesota the nation’s leading Renewable Energy Standard. She also authored a bill for Minnesota to adopt a regional cap and trade agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 1st
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.kateknuth.org
Gail Kulick-Jackson (DFL- 16A)
A practicing attorney in Milaca, Representative Kulick-Jackson’s agenda focuses on healthcare and education. She supports the use of health savings accounts, but argues the state needs to supplement these accounts with increased funding for MinnesotaCare.
First Elected: 2008 Term: 1st
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.gailKulickjackson.com
Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A)
An advocate for universal healthcare, Representative Laine authored a bill requiring the provision of healthcare services to all Minnesota residents. As a former teacher and School Board Member, she supports an increase in funding for schools through income tax revenue and supports the withdrawal Minnesota from No Child Left Behind.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.carolynlaine.com
Tina Liebling Asst. Majority Leader (DFL- 30A)
As a member of two committees focusing on Health Care, Representative Tine Liebling strongly supports providing Health Care insurance to all Minnesota residents. She believes this will hold down costs in the long run by aiding small businesses and increasing preventative care.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.tinaliebling.org
Diane Loeffler (DFL- 59A)
Moving into her third term as a Representative for Minneapolis’ NE district, Diane Loeffler’s top priorities include providing property tax relief and assuring access to affordable healthcare. In the last session, Representative Loeffler passed a bill to increase subsidies for federally qualified health centers, which provide services for low income populations.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.dianeloeffler.com
Sandra Masin (DFL- 38A)
Representative Masin’s priorities include expanding public transportation, especially for suburban areas, and increasing investment in biofuels and other renewable energies. She also sponsored a bill creating an Ultra High-Speed Broadband Taskforce, which she now chairs.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.masin4rep.com
Erin Murphy (DFL- 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: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.neighborsformurphy.com
Kim Norton (DFL- 29B)
A former school teacher, Representative Norton places education at the forefront of her priorities. She supports comprehensive reform to dramatically increase funding from the state in order to fulfill Minnesota’s constitutional obligation and once again make Minnesota schools the best in the nation.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.kimnorton.org
Sandra Peterson (DFL- 45A)
Rep. Peterson has quickly become a very powerful leader in education, particularly early childhood education. She led an effort to create a State Advisory Board on Early Childhood, ensuring all children in Minnesota attend kindergarten by 2020. She also co-authored a bill to stabilize and increase the Governor’s education funding suggestions.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.sandrapeterson.org
Jeanne Poppe (DFL- 27B)
Representative Poppe is a strong advocate for rural Minnesota, arguing what is good for the rural areas is good for Minnesota as a whole. She believes farms are often taken for granted and need to be supported more by balancing agricultural prosperity and environmental health.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.jeannepoppe.org
Katie Rodriguez (DFL- 32B)
Katie is a first-time candidate and hopes to be elected to the MN House representing Maple Grove and Osseo. She worked for 14 years in public finance and has been elected Precinct Chair, Director and Treasurer in SD32. Using her financial experience she hopes to make a difference in solving the state’s budget. Top issues include forming good schools, creating good jobs and working harder to provide fiscal responsibility.
Website: http://www.katie4house.com/
Maria Ruud (DFL- 42A)
Representative Rudd focuses on guaranteeing health care for all children. She was a strong supporter of the smoking ban and works as a nurse practitioner in women’s health care when the House is not in session.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.maria4rep.com
Bev Scalze (DFL- 54B)
Representative Scalze is a strong supporter of environmental issues. She co-authored the nation’s strongest agreement that will reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired plants by 90%. She also advocates open space planning as the state makes alternative transportation plans.
First Elected: 2004 Term: 3rd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.bevscalze.org
Nora Slawik DFL-Dist. 55B
Representative Slawik has accomplished a great deal in her long standing position as a State Representative. In the 2008 session, she introduced significant transportation and health care reforms, and helped resolve the budget deficit without raising taxes. In addition, she authored multiple bills funding early childhood education and health care.
First Elected: 1996 Term: 6th (not consecutive)
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=10622
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: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?district=63B
Marsha Swails DFL-Dist. 56B
As a life long teacher, Representative Marsha Swails is committed to providing excellent education to students in the Woodbury and Landfall area. She introduced multiple bills concerning education, such as funding voluntary full-day kindergarten and programs for gifted and talented students.
First Elected: 2006 Term: 2nd
Contact: E-mail
Website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?district=56B
Debbie White DFL- Dist 31A
Debbie is currently serving her 2nd term as an At-Large Member on the Winona City Council and is ready for the challenge of running against an incumbent this fall. White hopes to bring a pro-choice vote to the district and hopes to invest in the districts education institutions as a means to rebuild the community. She also supports increased investment in economic development, safe and efficient means of transportation, as well as environmental and energy sustainability.
Website: http://www.debbiewhiteforhouse.com/
