At TakeAction, we believe that we figure it out together. We’re stronger when we all bring our gifts and abilities to the table and dig in to make our communities work for everyone. And we know that our most effective elected leaders believe that too.
This is especially true at the local level, in our communities. Local elections matter because we build power in our cities by making community-centered policies together with our elected leaders.
Right now, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and an uprising born here in the Twin Cities. The crucial importance of having leaders in local government who actively listen to constituents, show up when we need them, and fight to make our cities better places to live has never been clearer.
We want to highlight a couple of cases of local elected officials rising to meet this moment boldly, and alongside the people they represent. The fights they are in might be tough, and the causes may not make the headlines, but they prove why we need strong leaders in every elected office.
Londel French & the Powderhorn Sanctuary
Hundreds have been displaced in the weeks of unrest in Minneapolis, making Minnesota’s housing crisis even worse. In the face of compounding crises, Londel French, Minneapolis Park Board Member at large, has been a model for people-centered leadership at the Powderhorn Sanctuary – even in the face of an increasingly difficult situation.
Londel showed up at the encampment nearly every day to volunteer as the park became a home for hundreds of unsheltered people. And as it became a challenge for many of the people who own homes and rent in the neighborhood, he had to balance competing needs.
There was no easy answer for the situation Powderhorn Sanctuary, but Londel did not shy away from the challenge. “We look at the reason folks are homeless as a moral failure sometimes. And it gives people the ability to just write them off, saying ‘if you just did what I was doing, you’d have a nice house like me or you’d have a nice job like me.’ And that’s not always true.”
Mitra Jalali, Nelsie Yang & St. Paul Tenants Rights
St. Paul’s city council recently passed the S.A.F.E. Housing ordinance 7-0, putting into place some of the most robust tenant rights protections in the state of Minnesota. Housing advocates have been fighting for these protections for years. And they found a champion in Ward 4 City Councilmember Mitra Jalali.
Mitra – a renter herself – worked with tenants’ rights organizers to organize a unanimous vote in favor of the ordnance. She formed alliances with renters, neighborhood groups, unions, and community members to build support, kept constituents updated with the progress of the ordinance, and fought back attempts by landlords to weaken it.
She also found a partner on the council in Ward 6 Councilmember Nelsie Yang, TakeAction’s former Justice for All organizer and the other renter on the council. Their collaboration and commitment to governing with their values and their constituents will improve life for thousands of renters in St. Paul.
Progressive, people-centered leaders at all levels of government matter.
TakeAction has endorsed leaders in races across the state and at all levels of government. You can find the full list of endorsements on our website, but we want to highlight the folks running for local elected offices, who often get overlooked during presidential elections:
- Oduwa Aganmwonyi — Brooklyn Park City Council
- Laura Dorle — Columbia Heights City Council
- Alfreda Daniels – Brooklyn Center City Council
- Lenora Hunt — St. Cloud City Council
- Sizi Goyah – Brooklyn Park City Council
- Robyn Gulley — West St. Paul City Council
- Buddy King — St. Cloud City Council
- Ashley Grimm – St. Louis County Commission
- Nikki Villavicencio – Maplewood City Council
- Hassan Yussuf — St. Cloud City Council
These are folks we know will govern alongside their constituents and who won’t shy away from hard fights.
Don’t forget to check out our Busy Voter’s Guide to find out who’s on your ballot, how to vote early, and everything else you need to know to make sure your voice is heard in the August 11 primary and the general election in November.
