Contact: Johanna Kichton, 202.660.0605, press@peoplesaction.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action today endorsed 11 Minnesota state and city-level candidates for election. The candidates are running movement politics, people-powered campaigns and will fight for the People’s Action People’s Platform once elected. Each of these candidates is also endorsed by People’s Action member organization, TakeAction Minnesota. Earlier this year, People’s Action and TakeAction Minnesota endorsed Rep. Ilhan Omar in her reelection to Congress.
“Minnesotans deserve elected officials in office who stand with the people, not corporate interests,” People’s Action Director of Movement Governing Brooke Adams said. “People’s Action is proud to endorse this slate of candidates running movement politics campaigns. As we face unprecedented racial, economic, and health crises, we need champions who are willing to push bold, progressive solutions that put people and our planet first.”
“We make our future together,” Amity Foster, Political Chair of TakeAction Minnesota said. “We are proud to endorse bold, people-centered candidates who will fight with us for bold solutions and govern together. When we people are at the center of our politics, a just, caring, sustainable future is possible.”
Endorsees include:
- Scott Dibble for State Senate (District 61)
- Erin Murphy for State Senate (District 64)
- Lindsey Port for State Senate (District 56)
- Patricia Torres Ray for State Senate (District 63)
- Kaohly Her for State House (District 64A)
- Athena Hollins for State House (District 66B)
- Frank Hornstein for State House (District 61A)
- Jamie Long for State House (District 61B)
- Alfreda Daniels for Brooklyn Center City Council
- Sizi Goyah for Brooklyn Center City Council
- Jamila Mame for St. Paul School Board (District 625)
Scott Dibble for State Senate (District 61)
Scott Dibble, presently the only out LGBTQ member of the Senate, first became involved in politics in the mid-1980’s in the movement for greater freedom and equality and for the rights his community and those with HIV/AIDS, leading to involvement on issues of social, racial and economic justice—especially in the areas of neighborhood livability, transportation, housing, police abuse, energy and the environment. He has helped lead on transit funding, clean indoor air, a response to youth homelessness, bullying prevention, medical cannabis, Minnesota’s plan to end HIV/AIDS in Minnesota, tenants’ rights, improvements for his local community college, more solar energy, the rights of tipped employees and police reform. He works on critical clean air, global warming, and economic challenges with initiatives on energy efficiency, renewable energy, mercury emissions reductions, electric cars, and green buildings. After the defeat of an anti-marriage constitutional amendment in 2012, he was a part of transitioning that momentum into passage of the freedom to marry.
“Everyone counts and everyone matters. The promises of our country and democracy are freedom, equality and opportunity — and to the extent that those things aren’t fully true for all, it is our job, working with and representing our constituents, to make change for the better. People’s Action is about fostering an authentic movement to ensure that we are all invested in each other’s success. I’m honored to work with an organization whose focus is making sure our community, our government, our resources benefit real, every day people, not the already rich and powerful, not corporations. We can get about the business of building a democracy, an economy and an environment that nurtures, and is worthy of passing on to the generations to come,” Dibble said.
Erin Murphy for State Senate (District 64)
Erin Murphy is a registered nurse, a mother and a Minnesotan. She teaches at St Kate’s. She practiced surgical nursing in rural Wisconsin and at the University of Minnesota Hospital where she was part of the transplant team. She served as an organizer, lobbyist, and eventually as the executive director for the Minnesota Nurses Association. Erin was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006 where she served for 12 years. She was the House Majority Leader in 2013 and 14. She ran for Governor in 2018 and built a people centered movement, a vision for our future, and the politics of joy. In 2019, Erin founded Our Stories. Our Health, a narrative campaign to put people at the center of our health debate.
“The urgency of today demands more of us than waiting. These are unprecedented times that call for new and better politics. I am committed to a bold, just vision that includes all Minnesotans. I know that together we can create a Minnesota with a bright future for all of us. I will organize with you, work with you, and we will find new ways to care for each other and our communities. We are in this together,” Murphy said.
Lindsey Port for State Senate (District 56)
Lindsey Port is a mom, a wife, a nonprofit executive director, and a longtime resident of Burnsville. Her two young girls attend their neighborhood public schools, and her husband runs a small business out of a warehouse in Burnsville. She’s running for the Minnesota Senate because she believes in a better way of leading: one where legislators work alongside the people in their community, helping to solve the real problems that working families face each day.
“I’m running to fight for big and bold solutions to the inequities our society is currently facing,” Port said. “I believe strongly in governing alongside the community and building coalitions that leave no one behind regardless of race, gender, or income level. Having the endorsement of the People’s Action means having another partner in this fight against the big money interests that have taken over our government and economy, to make sure everyone has access to what they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”
Patricia Torres Ray for State Senate (District 63)
Patricia Torres Ray is the first Latina woman elected to the Minnesota Senate. She is serving her fourth term representing District 63, which includes South-east Minneapolis and portions of Richfield. She is an immigrant who moved to Minnesota in 1987. She has two boys, Tomas 25 and Patrick 23. She received her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota, and also holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute. She was a LIeutenant Governor candidate for the John Marty for Governor campaign, and a 5th Congressional candidate.
“I’m running for office because I believe we must build a powerful political force, capable of inspiring and uniting people to use their power to build equity, protect our democracy and our planet,” Torres Ray said. “People Action’s endorsement is important to me because you are a grassroots power-building organizations that unite diverse people in their fight for justice.”
Kaohly Her for State House (District 64A)
Kaohly Her has over 20 years of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors working in industries spanning financial services and business consulting to education administration. She has a BBA in Finance, an MBA and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education Leadership. She is the mother of two beautiful and intelligent girls, the wife of a strong feminist man, the daughter of survivors of oppression and war, and a child of a community that decided she was worth investing in. She believes that it is her turn to take all of that love, wisdom, and strength to pour back into her neighbors, her community, her city, and her state.
“I grew up in a paper town where my father worked at the local paper factory and my mother as a teacher’s aide. As our family expanded, my parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. There were periods of my life where my family struggled financially but my parents never gave up on the dream of what America could provide. In my pursuit to become financially secure I learned that those in the top earning brackets benefit the most from our system. I saw how systemic and structural racism holds back marginalized groups and I experienced first hand how putting profits first hurt people and our environment. Having People’s Action’s endorsement means I am supported by a large national network of like minded people and organizations looking to make the same type of transformative change I am on environmental and climate justice, affordable and stable housing, healthcare for all, and free higher education,” Her said.
Athena Hollins for State House (District 66B)
Athena Hollins lives on the East Side of St. Paul with her partner and two children. She works as a diversity and inclusion professional in the legal field. She is currently serving her second term as president of her community council. She’s been an outspoken advocate for climate justice, gender justice, and making sure that affordable housing, healthcare, and childcare are available for all Minnesotans.
“I’m running because we need to make big, structural changes to our institutions to make sure that they serve all of us, and that can only be done with people-centered movements like Peoples’ Action,” Hollins said.
Frank Hornstein for State House (District 61A)
Frank Hornstein is currently serving in his 9th term as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Prior to his election, Frank worked for twenty years as a community organizer—including starting his organizing career with a People’s Action affiliate in Minnesota. He brings an organizer’s perspective to the legislature, working alongside grassroots organizations addressing social, racial, economic and environmental justice issues. He is running to continue his work to empower social justice movements and work to protect our democracy.
“I am honored to have the endorsement of People’s Action as we work together to empower communities and build a movement for social, racial, economic and environmental justice and protect voting rights and our democracy,” Hornstein said.
Jamie Long for State House (District 61B)
Jamie Long has dedicated his career to leadership in public service, grassroots advocacy, and progressive politics at the national, state, and local level. Prior to his election he served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Keith Ellison and worked as a policy aide and environmental attorney.
“Representative Long is running to help stave off the growing threats of climate change, close the shameful opportunity gaps thousands of Minnesotans face, and make sure Minnesotans everywhere have access to universal health care,” Long said. He is honored to have the People’s Action endorsement because he believes strongly in partnership with the grassroots to shape progressive public policy.”
Alfreda Daniels for Brooklyn Center City Council
Alfreda Daniels is a Community Organizer with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation (MRLF) and a Teamsters Local 120 Member. She was born in Monrovia, Liberia but fled to Ghana at the age of 8 due to the civil war in Liberia, which forced her to leave behind her family. She lived in the Ghanaian Buduburam Refugee Camp for 6 years and later immigrated to the US as a refugee in 2006. She attended St. Cloud State University where I studied Political Science, International Relations and Human Relations. She is one of the co-founders of Black Immigrant Collective– an organization focused on elevating and amplifying the voices and stories of Black Immigrants in the struggle for immigrant justice. She has been an organizer for 12 years and has mostly organized in the Northwest Suburbs of the Twin Cities, where her organizing focus has been Education, Economic Justice, Immigration Reform, Racial Justices, Social Justice, Housing and Transportation. As an organizer, she has a skill set that brings people of all backgrounds together in unity for change. This is the skill set she hopes to bring onto the council to make sure the decisions we make at City Hall are people-centered.
“My vision is to help lead a growing and vibrant Brooklyn Center that engages all of our city’s residents in creating a city where we can thrive,” Daniels said.
Sizi Goyah for Brooklyn Center City Council 
Sizi Goyah is a husband, parent, and tenured math teacher at the only high school located in Brooklyn Center. He lives in Brooklyn Center, he works in Brooklyn Center, and he is invested in Brooklyn Center.
“I am running because I believe making decisions that will move our city forward, ensure our residents feel empowered, and save requires the full participation of all of our residents. We need to be deliberate about unleashing the genius of our diversity to help all of our residents. The People’s Action’s endorsement means a lot to me as we need to form partnerships, not only while running for office but most importantly during governing, to foster the work of bringing all voices to the table of decision making,” Goyah said.
Jamila Mame for St. Paul School Board (District 625)
Jamila Mame is a young progressive leader fighting for Black, Brown, and Indigenous women and connecting with historically disinvested young people. After immigrating from Ethiopia at age 12, she struggled to find the support she needed to thrive in school. After college, she created St. Paul’s East African Youth Development Center, a place where all children are celebrated and supported regardless of gender, social status or wealth. Today, she is the Woman of Color Organizer at TakeAction Minnesota and continues to keep young people’s leadership at the heart of her work. She’s received endorsements from the St. Paul Federation of Educators, several unions, and the Native Peoples Caucus because she prioritizes and protects the interests of working people and historically disenfranchised groups, not corporate and business interests. All her life she has centered people, and she will continue to do so as a member of the St. Paul School Board.
“I am running for school board because I know what it feels like to be left out of spaces and conversations that determine the future of youth and I am prepared to fight to ensure all SPPS students have a seat at the table. An endorsement from People’s Action is an affirmation of shared values and vision, it is a commitment to being in right relationship with community accountability and transparency,” Mame said.
People’s Action’s Movement Politics program recruits, runs, and elects progressives into local and statewide offices across the country. Since 2016, People’s Action has helped elect over 350 movement politics candidates. The program focuses on electing women, people of color, and low-income people who are grounded in progressive movement building with our member organizations.
About People’s Action
People’s Action is a national network of 37 state and local grassroots, power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. We operate the largest progressive rural organizing project in the country. Our new podcast, To See Each Other, complicates the narrative about rural Americans in our most misunderstood, and often abandoned, communities. The Nation called our Iowa presidential forum the “most in-depth, people-powered forum” of the 2020 cycle.
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