GOP gubernatorial candidate Marty Seifert has chosen Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah as his running mate.

Sivarajah has been an Anoka County Commissioner since 2002, Seifert said in a news release Thursday after making the announcement at the Capitol.

“Rhonda has real-world experience running a small business, life experience raising a family, and practical experience as an Anoka county commissioner with a record of downsizing government through creative solutions,” Seifert said in a statement.

“I am proud to join Marty Seifert's effort to bring conservative values to Minnesota government," Sivarajah said in a statement. "With our combined experience and vision, I am confident we have what it takes to lead a successful campaign for Minnesota's highest office.”

Rhonda Sivarajah

Here a bio offered by the campaign:

RHONDA SIVARAJAH

Rhonda Sivarajah is a leader in her community and the proud mother of two wonderful children. She has been happily married to Ran, a Roseville Police Officer, for nearly 20 years. Rhonda’s son, Sonjay, is in the 9th grade at Centennial High School and her daughter, Asha, is in the 7th grade at Centennial Middle School. They live in Lino Lakes and attend Eagle Brook church.

Rhonda is a life-long Minnesotan, born and raised in Cambridge, Minnesota. Her family has deep roots in the community and is part of the 6th generation of her family to be raised in the Cambridge area. Rhonda’s mother was a homemaker who went back to school to become a cosmetologist and later opened her own small business, and her father was a merchant marine who sailed on the Great Lakes hauling iron ore and taconite. Rhonda’s family often made trips up to Duluth and Two Harbors to visit him and spend time on the ship sailing the Great Lakes.

For the past seven years, Rhonda has served the people of Anoka County as a county commissioner. In this role, she is focused on improving human services, transportation and public safety. She knows how local government works and knows how local government can be reformed and downsized.

Rhonda’s background is rooted in hard work and conservative values. She is a former small business owner and a member of the Quad Area and Metro North Chambers of Commerce; Rhonda understands how government regulations can stifle entrepreneurship.

Rhonda earned a degree in international relations from St. Cloud State University and studied abroad in Japan. As the mother of a child born with hearing loss, Rhonda also has been an advocate for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. She is proud to have worked closely with Northern Voices, a non-profit serving children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Rhonda was appointed by Governor Pawlenty to the Governor's Workforce Development Council and also serves on the Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee.



