We’ve been witnessing heartbreaking violence on the news lately. The discussion around race has taken over – at the water cooler, at our dinner tables, and in our door knocking conversations. At TakeAction, we believe that we need people from all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, religions, etc. to hold elected office and to be part of the discussions for us to move conversations forward, and start making some real change. We know that only 5% of the 201 legislative seats being filled by people of color is not enough. We know that 33% of the 201 legislative seats being filled by women is not enough. And for offices smaller than that level, we don’t even track statistics.
We are ready for legislators and representatives who look like and can speak for our many, diverse communities, who’re willing to fight for racial and economic justice, and that’s why we are committed to endorsing BOLD progressive candidates. We are excited to share our newest endorsements that will be powerful voices for their communities, two leaders and women of color:
Representative Rena Moran
Rena is currently the only African-American woman in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She represents district 65A, one of the most diverse districts in the state. She has held this seat since 2010, and has been an avid fighter for her community. Rena understands that politics can be very frustrating and hard to navigate, so she makes it her duty to engage her community by inviting them to the Capitol to see how things get done there. In addition, she also brings key lawmakers to her district to listen to the needs of people in her district. During this challenging and unproductive session, Rena was able to pass 3 bills. We are so proud and honored to be supporting her, because we know that she supports and represents our values. If you’d like to learn more about her visit her website here.
Maria Regan Gonzalez
Maria is a long time community activist, and community public health worker. She is running to be the City Council woman in the east district of Richfield (Ward 3). She has been working alongside many diverse coalitions within her community to fight for policies that will have long term positive affects. She is running for this seat, because she is very excited about all the new development that is coming to the east side of Richfield, but she’d like to include the voices of community members in the decision making process. To learn more about her campaign and vision visit her website here.
We know how important it is to have progressive champions in positions of power, and we also know how important it is to have people from all walks of life at the decision making table. We need to make sure that we are not only electing progressives, but that we are electing progressive people of color and women to all levels of government. We are so proud to be supporting these two dynamic leaders. We know that with their unique experiences they will continue to be progressive champions for the people of Richfield and Minnesota.
To support Rena and Maria, along with the other amazing candidates of color that we’ve endorsed this year, check out our calendar and sign up for some shifts. Together we can and will change the face of Minnesota.
By: Abena Abraham, Elections Coordinator
