Dear District 2,

It’s been an honor to serve as your Hennepin County Commissioner, and I will work to earn your support as I run for re-election in 2022.

You elected me in 2018 on a promise to increase visibility, transparency, and accountability at Hennepin County—and I’m proud of the progress we have made together. We have worked in partnership with issue organizations, movement coalitions, and community leaders to achieve positive change for you.

My office believes in what’s possible. We have consistently asked the community about what is needed and have worked with county staff to achieve it. In doing so, I amplified the voices of those who are most impacted by decisions as well as those who implement decisions.

That’s how we were able to accomplish so much for our communities and advance an equitable agenda for Hennepin residents.

What we accomplished

While serving as Chair of Hennepin’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, I established and supported strategies to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in affordable housing over the next decade. These investments mean more of our neighbors have safe places to lay their heads at night.

As Chair of the Regional Railroad Authority, I worked with the Metropolitan Council to advance a new direction for the Blue Line Extension light rail project. We have the opportunity for trajectory-changing economic investment to provide residents access to the high quality transit system we deserve.

As Chair of Hennepin’s Complete Count Committee, I secured unprecedented funding for Census efforts in 2020, leading to over 11% population growth in Hennepin and contributing to Minnesota retaining all our congressional seats. The Census impacts the distribution of resources for the next decade, and we prioritized historically undercounted communities who have been overlooked by our systems for too long.

My office worked to improve safety for residents by partnering to embed a social worker at the Hennepin Sheriff’s 911 dispatch. I also established Hennepin’s first-ever 911/Mental Health Task Force to ensure that our neighbors who call 911 receive the response and services that meet their needs.

My leadership supported our local economy by creating grants, resources, and programs that provided relief, training, and assistance to small businesses and workers. I played a key role in expanding shelter capacity for our unhoused neighbors, reconfiguring county roads to be safer for all users, and bolstering voter registration efforts. And alongside Commissioner Angela Conley (District 4), we co-authored the resolutions that established racism as a public health crisis and formalized Juneteenth as a paid holiday for Hennepin employees.

What we’re still fighting for

While I share these accomplishments with excitement and pride for how far we have come together—I also know that this progress is not enough to meet the needs of our communities. Our work is not done yet! That’s why I’m asking you for the opportunity to serve another term as your County Commissioner, so that together we can keep fighting for the change we deserve:

• We deserve vibrant communities. That will require significant investment in community wealth building while implementing strong anti-displacement measures.

• We deserve equitable communities. That will require dramatic action to address centuries of disinvestment and harm by expanding access and opportunities to historically marginalized groups of people.

• We deserve safe communities. That will require serious shifts in how we approach emergency response, law enforcement, and criminal justice.

• We deserve healthy communities. That will require meaningful investment in mental health services, environmental restoration, and safe public spaces for all to walk, bike, and roll.

I hope I can earn your support to continue this important work in 2022 and beyond.