Women Winning announces March endorsements for Minnesota House of Representatives

Mar 2, 2018 | blog

Since the 2016 elections, Women Winning has identified a record-high number of pro-choice women who are ready to run for office in Minnesota. This year, in addition to statewide races (including the Governor. two U.S. Senators, and Constitutional offices) and key congressional and local races, we have an incredible opportunity to reestablish a pro-choice majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives by electing pro-choice women leaders.

Women Winning was proud to endorse a slate of strong, pro-choice women candidates for the Minnesota House of Representatives in March.

This is just the beginning. We will be endorsing dozens more candidates in the coming months and will be working as hard as we can to elect pro-choice women up and down the ballot in November.

Patty Acomb, House District 44B
Shelly Christiansen, House District 39B
Lori Ann Clark, House District 21A
Kathryn Eckhardt, House District 35B
Madalyn Gerold, House District 47A
Mindy Kimmel, House District 16B
Jaimie Mahlberg, House District 25A
Maggie Williams, House District 58A

Katie Roche

Chisago County Board, District 3

City Council Member Katie Roche is running for Chisago County Commissioner representing District 3, which includes Lindstrom, Chisago City, and south Chisago Lake Township. Council Member Roche is a licensed teacher who began serving her city in 2017 as a planning commissioner and a member on the economic development authority. In her role as a city council member, she has strongly advocated for transparency and collaboration with other governing bodies to address the goals of our community and county. The priorities that she would like to address when elected to the County Board include incentivizing economic development in the area with the intention of broadening our tax base, promoting the necessity of accessible and reliable broadband, initiating communication with the local school boards to address future planning and growth, advocating for veterans and workforce housing in order to meet the needs of District 3 residents, collaborating with county staff to enable accessible and affordable child care, and ensuring transparency and collaboration amongst the county, cities, and township. When elected County Commissioner of District 3, Council Member Roche will continue to connect with voters in her District and work hard to find solutions to issues that we all care about!

Visit Katie Roche's website here

Sheila Webb

Robbinsdale City Council, Ward 2

Sheila Webb is running for Robbinsdale City Council in Ward 2. Sheila has worked in the field of social services for over 24 years; she has spent the last 6 years working as a school social worker. Sheila serves as Chair of Robbinsdale Human Rights Commission, Secretary for the League of Women Voters-CNHEPR and is on the Board of Directors for the Seven Dreams Education Foundation. Sheila is also a member of the Hennepin County Race Equity Advisory Council. When elected, Sheila will work to push the voices of Ward 2 and promote community engagement. Sheila will also work to assert an agenda that includes diversity, equity, inclusion and safety for the city of Robbinsdale.

Visit Sheila Webb's website here

Julie Strahan

Roseville City Council

Julie Strahan is running for a first term on the Roseville City Council. Ms. Strahan is a Human Resources Director for a nonprofit dementia care facility. She served as a teacher for 10 years, in public, private and charter schools. She is a member of ERA MN, the League of Women Voters, and has served on several Arts boards. Ms. Strahan desires to build on the connections she has created in her 17 years of living in Roseville to move Roseville forward with new ideas and creative solutions to building community.

Visit Julie Strahan's website here

Gaylene Spolarich

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 10B

Gaylene Spolarich, an Indigenous mother, grandmother, and caregiver who lives in Palisade (Aitkin County), and a Democrat running for Minnesota House District 10B. In times like these, when care is a matter of life and death, we need strong and independent leadership for our district. Gaylene has lived in Aitkin County for 56 years, and for the past 25 years, has worked in City Government and Tribal Government, focusing mostly on the issues facing low-income families, children, and our small and rural places.
Together, her family and her community have faced economic challenges, as well as healthcare challenges. We will face this current crisis in the same ways we have those others: by caring for those around us, making difficult decisions in transparent and open ways, and searching for the common ground where we can build long-term health and well-being for all people, not just when it seems profitable or practical.
Gaylene is running because she's passionate about representing her district, and about inspiring others like her—those who care, but have been invisible or quiet—to step up, get involved, and support one another. She's also running because she believes it’s never too late to speak up and work hard for the things you value.

Visit Gaylene Spolarich's website here

Diane Nguyen

Minnesota Senate, District 30

Diane Nguyen is running for Minnesota State Senator District 30, which includes Albertville, Big Lake, Elk River, Dayton, Hanover and St. Michael. She is a mother of an eleven-year-old boy attending 100% Distance Learning at Salk Middle School, engaged to Chad Hobot and has her licenses in insurances and real estate. Diane Nguyen is a win for labor unions, local jobs and economic growth, schools and student’s safety from Covid-19 and affordable healthcare for families and individuals.

Visit Diane Nguyen's website here

Christa Mims

Minneapolis School Board, District 4

Christa Mims is running for Minneapolis School Board in District 4. Christa is a social worker for Hennepin County and leads work to reduce racial disparities in education for youth involved in county systems. Christa is a 2020 Fellow for the New Leaders Council-Twin Cities and serves on the board of directors for the Domestic Abuse Project (DAP). When elected, Christa Mims will ensure that community voice is represented in decision making and that youth in Minneapolis Public Schools have equitable access to an excellent education.

Visit Christa Mim's website here

Jamila Mame

Saint Paul School Board

Jamila Mame was born and raised in Oromia and is the youngest of 13 children. Her family immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia. She attended Philander Smith College and graduated with a bachelors in Political Science and Psychology. After college, she worked for the DFL as to mobilize community and elevate the rights and voices of the Oromo people who are far too often forgotten by our political structures. Fighting for BIPOC womxn and connecting with marginalized young people is at the heart of her work. In St. Paul, she created the African Youth Development Center, a place where all children are celebrated and supported regardless of gender, social status or wealth. Jamila is running because she knows what it feels like to be left out of spaces and conversations that determine your future. She will fight to ensure all SPPS students have a seat at the table.

Visit Jamila Mame's website here

Katie Malchow

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 32B

Katie Malchow is running for State Representative in District 32B which includes Chisago, Lindstrom, Taylors Falls, parts of North Branch and Wyoming, as well as many wonderful smaller towns and townships. Katie is the current chamber of commerce director, has worked with community members to found the Chisago Lakes Early Literacy Project, volunteered on the PTO board and lent her time towards many other community projects. Katie's legislative priorities are to promote equitable funding for schools, universal broadband, and support for small businesses. Once elected, Katie will show voters in her district that despite political affiliation, constituents deserve representation that values their opinions, ideals, and voices.

Visit Kaite Malchow's website here

Connie Lindstrom

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 1A

Connie Lindstrom is the DFL-endorsed candidate for Minnesota House District 1A, which encompasses Kittson, Marshall and Roseau counties, as well as portions of Pennington County including the city of Thief River Falls. Lindstrom is employed as a business analyst in the agriculture and biofuels sectors, and has earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota, with a concentration in government and policy. Lindstrom’s focus as a legislator is on developing policies that will promote and encourage economic stability and growth for the communities in Northwest Minnesota. She believes it is critical that we make appropriate investments in our region, because our state and our nation were built by all of us having access to a few basic things: high-quality public education, good health, and transportation and communication networks that don't stop at the city limits. Those things are the tools everyone, everywhere, needs to have a fair shot at success if they work hard. Connie’s commitment to ensuring that all Minnesotans have access to these basics has earned her the endorsement of many other organizations who share these same goals, such as Education Minnesota, the Minnesota Farmers Union PAC, Minnesota AFL-CIO and AFSCME Council 5.

Visit Connie Lindstrom's website here