Here’s the story from Minnesota’s primary yesterday: people-powered campaigns with bold visions won.
Across the state, voters in DFL primaries backed candidates who will fight for Medicare for All and a fully funded public schools, clean water and sustainable communities, affordable housing and so much more.
From city council all the way to Congress, our TakeAction-endorsed candidates won and they won big. We’ve still got a lot of work to do before the general election, but today, we’re celebrating these campaigns and everyone who worked hard to get them elected.
Here’s a snapshot of what happened last night:
Sending Ilhan Back to Congress
At the federal level, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar handily won her primary race in Minneapolis. Her main challenger was funded by dark money from Trump supporters and right-wing extremists. While glossy mailers and cable news ads may have gotten people talking, the numbers don’t lie.
Despite millions of dollars coming into the state to defeat her, our Congresswoman won her race with a grassroots, people-powered movement behind her. Our collective action is more powerful than big money.
Ilhan swept the election with more than 57% of the vote, with the runner-up coming in at just over 39%. That’s a landslide victory of 29,384 votes over her main opponent. Ilhan’s margin of victory shot up by nearly 10%, with over 27,000 more voters showing up to support her in this race than in the 2018 election.
Those numbers are solid proof that Minneapolis voters see through shady fear tactics and dark money.
Congresswoman Omar’s constituents know and trust her to put our needs at the center of politics and policy. Whether she’s fighting for Medicare for All, Homes for All, a Green New Deal, standing with the labor movement, or cancelling student debt – Ilhan shows up and stands with the people.
Movement Wins Across the State
In state-level elections, our progressive, people-centered movement saw wins across Minnesota.
In Duluth, Jen McEwen defeated incumbent Erik Simonson for the DFL nomination in Senate District 7. TakeAction members and volunteers organized fiercely in Duluth for Jen’s victory, alongside major allies including Education Minnesota, MN350, and the Sierra Club. All that work paid off. Jen’s landslide win (73%) is a sure sign that Duluth voters are ready for a real change and a powerful voice for climate justice representing them at the Capitol.
In Burnsville, TakeAction-endorsed Lindsey Port won her primary race with 67% of the vote. She’ll be up against incumbent Republican Dan Hall in a district DFLers need to flip in order to take the senate this fall.
There were big wins for progressive candidates in the Minnesota House of Representatives too, TakeAction-endorsed candidates Cedrick Frazier (District 45A) and John Thompson (District 67A) won their races in open seats. And in House District 66B in St. Paul, Athena Hollins (District 66B) defeated a nine term incumbent with over 60% of the vote.
We’ve got a lot to do to create a Minnesota that works for all of us, but we’re excited to work alongside these progressive champions.
Building a Local Wave
Last but certainly not least, TakeAction-endorsed candidates won key races in city and county level elections throughout the state.
- Longtime Duluth activist Ashley Grimm won handily in her primary for St. Louis County Commissioner.
- In St. Cloud, TakeAction-endorsed candidates Buddy King and Hassan Yussuf will be going on to the November general election.
- Laura Dorle in Columbia Heights, Sizi Goyah and Alfreda Daniels in Brooklyn Center, and Nikki Villavicencio in Maplewood are all also advancing to the general election.
From public safety to potholes, we all feel the impact of local elections in our daily lives. Sending these candidates, who are deeply connected and committed to their local communities, ensures that decisions made about us are not made without us.
We’re thrilled and energized by last night’s election results. These sweeping victories foreshadow a wave of progressive wins across Minnesota and the nation this November, but the work is just beginning. Primary elections are only a step towards winning the change we believe in and building the world we deserve. Onward!
