Alfreda Daniels

Brooklyn Center City Council

Alfreda Daniels is a community organizer with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation (MRLF). She lives in Brooklyn Center and is running for Brooklyn Center City Council. Alfreda was born in Liberia, lived in a Ghanaian refugee camp and later migrated to the US as a refugee. Alfreda attended St. Cloud State University where she studied Political Science, International Relations and Human Relations.Alfreda mostly organizes in the Northwest area suburbs of the Twin Cities where she engages community and union members around issues ranging from employment, immigration and education to transportation. In doing so, she helps create non-transactional relationships between communities of color and the labor movement where they are collectively working to build power for change.

In early 2015, she organized the Northwest Suburbs Community and Labor Collective whose mission is to build an intentional multi-sector partnership that will take on working family’s issues, develop leaders and build political power in the Northwest area suburbs as the labor movement expands.

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Amáda Márquez Simula

Columbia Heights Mayor

Amáda Márquez Simula is running for Mayor of Columbia Heights. Amáda is the Adult Enrichment/Senior Program Manager at the Columbia Heights School District bringing creative ideas, education, and community spirit to adult community ed classes. She was named the 2017 Columbia Heights Humanitarian of the Year for her service to the city. Amáda is the outgoing President and founding member of HeightsNEXT, a 501(c)3 non-profit serving her community by organizing events on sustainability, social justice education, and environmental causes. When elected, Amáda will continue to represent our diverse communities and work to modernize our public safety plans, create healthy spaces, spend smart, and utilize 21st-century technology solutions to connect our services with our citizens.

Visit Amáda Márquez Simula's website here

Laurie Halverson

Dakota County Commissioner, District 3

Laurie Halverson is running for Dakota County Commissioner in District 3, which includes Eagan, Mendota, Mendota Heights, and Lilydale. Laurie is currently completing her 4th term in the Minnesota House of Representatives from Eagan and serves as chair of the commerce committee. In her time in the House, Laurie has led the way on advancing a wide variety of critical legislation. She is a champion for affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, campaign finance reform, and economic justice. Laurie Halverson has lived and worked in Dakota County for 20 years where she has been an active community leader and volunteer. She has a degree in Political Science from St. Catherine University and attended the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Laurie lives in Eagan with her husband Jason, their son Kai, and their rescue dogs Maggie and Ruby. On the Dakota County Board, Laurie will continue to advance policies that support safe, healthy, and prosperous communities.

Visit Laurie Halverson's website here

Liz Reyer

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 51B

Liz Reyer is the DFL endorsed candidate for House District 51B, Eagan. Liz is a business leader, social activist, mother of four, and a long-time Eagan resident. She has been active in local politics and has a long history of involvement in Eagan schools, youth athletics, and other civic matters. In recent years, Liz has been active in the movement for racial justice. She entered this campaign to take on the structural racism that continues to plague Minnesota and believes that each of us has a right to quality and affordable health care, equal justice under the law, a stable climate and clean environment, and a world-class education.

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Jen McEwen

Minnesota Senate, District 7

Jen McEwen is running for the Minnesota Senate in District 7 (Duluth). Jen is an attorney representing disabled workers against insurance companies, the Board President of the Damiano Center, and a mother of two children in our public schools. She has a deep appreciation of the challenges we face in Duluth and in the state. Jen is ready to work alongside our community, with political courage and with integrity, to take on these challenges. The time is now. Together, we can build a community where all can prosper. We can build a clean energy future. We can have health care for all.

Visit Jen McEwen's website here

De'Vonna Pittman

Hennepin County Commissioner, District 1

De’Vonna Pittman is running for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 1, which includes Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, New Hope, Osseo, and Robbinsdale. De’Vonna is a DFL Endorsed candidate who is known as a skilled bridge builder and strategist who creates collaborations between community and government.

De’Vonna founded the Minnesota Black Author’s expo in 2017 with the goal of reducing educational disparities and connecting community, educators, and children to literature written by authors of color. Her 18-year career at Hennepin County includes roles with the Board of Commissioners, Community Corrections, Administration, and Disparity Reduction. As a project coordinator, De’Vonna was integral in major projects, including the Twins Stadium where she coordinated community conversations around accessibility and the environmental impact study.

De’Vonna is a former board member of the City of Lakes Land Trust and the Sexual Violence Center. Since 2013 De’Vonna has hosted countless community forums focused on bringing awareness to childhood sexual abuse.

Visit De'Vonna Pittman's website here

Sandra Feist

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 41B

Sandra Feist is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 41B, which includes New Brighton, St. Anthony Village, Columbia Heights and Hilltop. Feist is a practicing immigration attorney with nearly two decades of experience advocating for the rights of immigrants. In her legal career, she has been elected to numerous regional and national leadership roles, including Chair of her Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and as a Board Member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. She will bring her passion for an inclusive, just society to the Minnesota Legislature.

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Gretchen Piper

Minnesota Senate, District 33

Gretchen Piper is running for Minnesota Senate representing District 33 which includes Chanhassen, Corcoran, Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenfield, Greenwood, Hamel, Independence, Long Lake, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, St Bonifacius, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay and Wayzata.

Gretchen runs a small business advising nonprofits for strategic growth and fundraising, and has spent three decades working on issues including environmental conservation, health care, education, women's empowerment, anti-racism, social services and human rights. Her priorities include access to excellent public and higher education, health care, infrastructure investments, including universal broadband. She believes that investing in our communities will be a key priority for rapid and equitable economic recovery. Her lifetime of problem solving and putting our shared values into action will serve our community with common-sense solutions.

Visit Gretchen Piper's website here

Michele Anderson

Minnesota Senate, District 8

Michele Anderson, a resident of Fergus Falls and a nonprofit leader, is running for Minnesota Senate in District 8, which includes the communities of Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Parkers Prairie, New York Mills, Perham, and Pelican Rapids. Michelle is the Rural Program Director at Springboard for the Arts, a community and economic development organization based in Fergus Falls and Saint Paul. Her rural advocacy writing has been featured in the New York Times and other publications. She is an alum of the Blandin Community Leadership Institute and has served on many boards and committees in Fergus Falls, including the Otter Tail County Historical Society, the Fergus Falls Human Rights Commission, and the Otter Tail County Long Range Strategic Plan Committee. Michele is committed to promoting equity, fighting for women’s rights, protecting the environment, and strengthening rural economies.

Visit Michele Anderson's website here