Bernie Sanders Campaign Announces Minnesota Co-Chairs

WASHINGTON – Following Sen. Sanders’ victory in New Hampshire, Bernie 2020 on Friday released a slate of over fifty state Co-Chairs across all Super Tuesday states. The Co-Chairs represent a diverse coalition of progressive elected officials, local activists and community leaders that show the strength of Senator Sanders’ “Not Me, Us” movement in communities across the country.



“From Maine to California, Bernie 2020 is ready to compete and win in states across the country. We are the first campaign to release a slate of Co-Chairs, who will helm campaign efforts, in each of the Super Tuesday States," said Bernie 2020 National Political Director Analilia Mejia. "These Co-Chairs represent Bernie's multi-racial, multi-generational, working class movement to take on Donald Trump, and we are proud to work alongside them to build a progressive movement and elect Senator Bernie Sanders as the next President of the United States."



Co-Chairs include Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.



Since Sanders' wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, the campaign has announced efforts to immediately increase staffing in Super Tuesday states and invest more than $5.5 million in television and digital ads in ten Super Tuesday states.



Minnesota Co-Chairs includes:



Minnesota

• Keith Ellison - MN Attorney General, Co-Chair

• Ilhan Omar - U.S. Representative (CD-5), Co-Chair

• Alondra Cano - Minneapolis City Council Member (Ward 9), Vice-Chair

• Winona LaDuke - Co-Founder, Honor the Earth, Vice-Chair

• John Marty - State Senator (District 66), Vice-Chair

• Joel Sipress - Duluth City Council Member (District 2), Vice-Chair

Keith Ellison, State Co-Chair MN Attorney General



Bio:​ Keith Ellison was elected Minnesota Attorney General in 2018 and represented Minnesotans in Congress from 2007-2009, where he championed consumer, worker, and civil rights protections to defend the rights of Minnesotans against the interests of the powerful. He passed laws to fight credit card abuse and to defend the rights of tenants and renters, and founded the Congressional Antitrust Caucus and the Congressional Consumer Justice Caucus. Before entering politics, Keith spent 16 years as an attorney specializing in civil rights and defense law, overseeing a team of attorneys focused on delivering justice for Minnesotans who had nowhere else to turn. For five of those years he also served as Executive Director of the Legal Rights Center.



Statement:​ “The most pressing problem of our time is inequality. For working-class people, they really can’t thrive and grow in this economy and Bernie has the best prescriptions now. Over the course of time he has demonstrated the most consistent commitment to working families.”

Ilhan Omar, State Co-Chair U.S. Representative (CD-5)

Bio: ​Born in Somalia, Rep. Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was eight. The family spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the United States in the 1990s. Rep. Ilhan Omar currently represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. An experienced policy analyst, organizer, public speaker and advocate, Rep. Omar was sworn into office in January 2019, making her the first Somali-American and first of two Muslim-American women elected to Congress, and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota. As a Legislator, Rep. Omar is committed to fighting for the shared values of the 5th District, values that put people at the center of our democracy.



Statement: ​“Bernie is leading a working class movement to defeat Donald Trump that transcends generation, ethnicity and geography. That is why he is fighting to cancel all student debt. That is why he is fighting to make all school meals universal. That is why he is fighting for a humane immigration policy that treats immigrants as human beings and not criminals. And it’s why Bernie is fighting to end our forever wars and truly prioritize human rights in our foreign policy—no matter who violates them. And it’s why I believe Bernie Sanders is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump in 2020.”



Alondra Cano, State Vice-Chair Minneapolis City Council Member (Ward 9)



Bio:​ Alondra and her family immigrated from Mexico to rural Minnesota when she was ten years old. She is the first Latinx to have been elected to serve on the Minneapolis City Council. As an organizer, she helped pass the Minnesota Dream Act. As a Council Member, she led the charge to pass a $15 minimum wage ordinance and, with American Indian leaders, persuaded her city to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.



Statement:​ “I support Bernie Sanders for President because he has the courage to stand up for our community when it matters, not when it’s convenient. His fight for the people has energized millions across the country to organize and build a movement for political change. Bernie’s voice has always reflected this movement, he is the President who will work to inspire our nation to believe in the power of us.”



Winona LaDuke, State Vice-Chair Co-Founder, Honor the Earth



Bio:​ Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist and author, who works on issues of Indigenous economics, food, and energy policy. She co-founded Honor the Earth with the Indigo Girls, as a platform to raise awareness of and money for Indigenous struggles for environmental justice. Globally and nationally, Winona is known as a leader on the issues of culturally-based sustainable development strategies, renewable energy, and sustainable food systems. She is a leader in efforts to protect Indigenous plants and heritage foods from patenting and genetic engineering.



Statement:​ "Bernie Sanders is a committed, courageous champion for the people. For decades, he's worked with Native people to support our calls for justice, for dignity, and for the next economy, one where we are all able to thrive. More than just calling for justice, Senator Sanders has committed to making a future where we are at the table and not on the menu. I have immense respect for this leader and look forward to working with him in the year ahead."



John Marty, State Vice-Chair State Senator (District 66)



Bio:​ John Marty is a senior state senator - having served since 1987 - and is a strong, consistent advocate for governmental ethics, environmental protection, and universal health care. John is the author of the proposed Minnesota Health Plan, which seeks to replace health insurance for some with health care for all. John is a graduate of St. Olaf College with a B.A. in Ethics. He and his wife, Connie, live in Roseville, MN.

Statement:​ "I am proud to support Bernie Sanders because sincerity and integrity matter, and trustworthiness in politics is so rare. Bernie has thoughtful, well-reasoned positions on the issues, especially universal healthcare, economic justice, and climate issues. Equally important, he doesn’t take those stands in order to score points; he has consistently fought for them over the years. Also, contrary to what many pundits say, Bernie is the most electable candidate. He has shown an incredible ability to connect with young people, rural residents, and others who have felt disengaged. Inspiring this enormous bloc of potential voters and getting them to the polls is essential if we want to guarantee victory in 2020."



Joel Sipress, State Vice-Chair Duluth City Council Member (District 2)

Bio:​ Joel Sipress has served on the Duluth, Minnesota City Council since 2014. He is also a member of the Duluth Public Utilities Commission and the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors. Prior to taking office as a city councilor, he served for four years as a member of the Executive Board of the Duluth DFL, Democratic Party.



Statement:​ “As a local elected official, I see every day the ways in which our economic and ecological challenges are rapidly reaching a breaking point. Whether it is a lakeshore that is being devastated by a changing climate, a housing market that is pushing thousands to the brink of homelessness, or a health care system that jeopardizes both physical and financial well-being, we can no longer afford to tinker around the edges. Senator Sanders is leading a movement to change our broken economic and political systems. I’m proud to be part of that movement.”

Positions and organizations listed for identification purposes only, and do not imply formalized institutional support.