Candidate Answers
Minnesota Youth Collective developed a candidate questionnaire based on our values, and sent it out to the candidates for Ward 3, Ward 5, Ward 9, Ward 10, and Mayor in mid-May (candidates who filed after May were not sent the questionnaire, but if they filed by September 13, they are listed). These districts have the highest proportion of young people throughout Minneapolis, so we prioritized them. Candidates were emailed about the questionnaire and given three weeks to complete it (they all also received multiple reminders before we closed the questionnaire for responses). The full questionnaire we sent can be found here. Candidates were then rated on a scale of 0 to 5, 0 being “did not participate,” and 5 being “aligned with all MNYC’s values.” Each candidate’s rating is next to their name. To see all the ratings of the candidates together, go here. Ratings are not endorsements.
Below are each candidate’s answer to the question, “How are young people included in your campaign, and how will they be included in your decisions if elected?” Candidates running in the races who did not answer the questionnaire or filed after May are included with no response. Don’t see your ward? For a full list of candidates, go here.
Click on the name of each race for the candidates’ complete answers to the full questionnaire.
Ward 3
Steve Fletcher (I) — 4/5
Young people have been and will continue to be an integral part of my campaign and how I will govern. My campaign manager, Erik Myster, is 26 years old, a graduate of Hamline University and has significant experience working in youth communities throughout the city. In addition, we have many campaign workers and volunteers that are either current students or recent graduates.
During my first term I worked with MSA to include student housing in our inclusionary zoning ordinance, which will result in the first new affordable student units in decades. I will continue to work directly with young people and organizations to focus on policy that place youth interests at its center.
Hope Hennessey — 0/5
Merv Moorhead — 0/5
Michael Rainville — 2/5
My campaign manager has just turned 30 and I have two high school students working on my campaign. I value and seek their perspectives as I am forming my decisions on policy. I will seek to have younger people on my staff when Council Member for Ward 3 as they provide me a vital perspective that my age precludes me from having on my own.
Ward 5
Jeremiah Ellison (I) — 4/5
I began my career as a Teaching Artist at JXTA, a Northside youth arts and employment organization, and a youth counselor at Avenues for Homeless Youth. I know the importance of young peoples' perspectives and I know how to invite those voices into conversations about housing or safety or economic development, etc. Utilizing resources like the Youth Coordinating Board, developing youth panels on specific topics, and investing in youth employment are all ways I plan to continue promoting youth voices, both in and beyond an advisory capacity.
Suleiman Isse — 0/5
Victor Martinez — 0/5
Elijah Norris-Holliday — 0/5
Kristel Porter — 3/5
Half my team are between the ages of 14 - 23. This is due to the fact that I coach High School Gymnastics and coach soccer at Farview Park in North Minneapolis. I am also a partner in Seeds to Harvest which offers employment, training, and volunteer opportunities to Northside youth every Saturday. With the non-profit organization I lead; I am constantly providing paid engagement, training, and service learning projects around Environmental Justice issues addressing Climate Change and environmental racism.
James “Jim” Seymour — 0/5
Cathy Spann — 0/5
Ward 9
Jason Chavez — 4/5
I am proud to be the 2nd youngest person running for office in Minneapolis this year with a team of young people that are running our campaign for the 9th Ward. We are at a pivotal time in our movement where young people are often the ones left to clean the messes of the decisions made by our elected leaders. I will continue to work closely with young folks on the ground, here in Ward 9. My plan is to host a planning meeting with young organizers in the 9th Ward, the movement, and especially young folks in immigrant communities. In immigrant communities, it is often young people who are the ones that inform their parents, grandparents, and other relatives on how to take political action. They are key to expanding community power to those who have been left out because of work, language barrier, or fear of deportation.
Jon Randall Denison — 0/5
Al Flowers Jr. — 0/5
Yussef Haji — 0/5
Carmen Means — 2/5
Young people have been at the center of my campaign by grassroots involvement from hosting community listening sessions as well as door knocking, canvassing and phone calls. I’ve partners with local organizations that are youth leaders to implement organizing - anti racism training.
Mickey Moore — 2/5
Both my Campaign Chair and my Campaign Manager are in their early 30s. (32, as a matter of fact...) This means our campaign utilizes social media and trends towards issues that not only matter to our current population, but also reflect our youth and our future generations. Despite being the oldest candidate in this particular race, I have strong mixture of highly experienced people, and enthusiastic young people working with me, including both college and high school students. I appeal to young people, because my 11 year old daughter, keeps me young at heart. I plan to immediately make available internship opportunities for young people to gain practical experience and have a voice in our city leadership. I place a tremendous value on the involvement and input that we get from our youngest volunteers, and I would definitely look to continue that resource after I become the next city councilmember.
Brenda Short — 0/5
Ross Tenneson — 0/5
Ward 10
Aisha Chughtai — 4/5
Young people are hungry for transformational change, and for leaders who will fight to make it happen. As the youngest candidate running in Minneapolis this year, I can be a standard-bearer for that change. It is incredibly important to me that the young people of this city see a space for themselves in my campaign and in the governing of this city. I’m running to create that space. My campaign is led and staffed by young people, and we are building a campaign around innovative strategies to allow young people to participate and to meet them where they’re at by engaging with renters in apartment buildings and students through a relational organizing program. If elected, I have committed to creating a Ward 10 Youth Council, giving young people in the ward a direct say in how I govern and an opportunity to take on their own projects in the community.
Alicia Gibson — 2/5
Young people have always been a part of how I build community -- whether it was empowering young people as learners in the university classroom when I taught there, or when I recruited young people to serve on the board of my neighborhood association. On the campaign trail, my only paid staff is a college student, and I have several close advisors who are also young voters. In fact, my idea for a Citizen Climate Corp was heavily influenced by two young supporters who work in energy and environmental education policy. The passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm of young people is a guiding force for me and vitally important to creating and implementing ideas.
Katie Jones — 0/5
Ubah Nur — 0/5
Chris Parsons — 0/5
David Wheeler — 0/5
Mayor
Nate Atkins — 0/5
A.J. Awed — 0/5
Troy Benjegerdes — 0/5
Bob “Again” Carney Jr. — 0/5
Clint Conner — 0/5
Christopher W. David — 0/5
Jacob Frey (I) — 0/5
Mark Globus — 0/5
Marcus Harcus — 0/5
Paul Johnson — 0/5
Kate Knuth — 3/5
I’m proud that young people are leading in my campaign. Our Co-Campaign Managers are 23 and 24 years old, recently graduating from the University of Minnesota. Not only is it important that young people are reflected in our campaign team, but also that they have an active role in decision making at City Hall. I will continue to engage with students and young people, especially MNYC, for direct feedback and guidance through regular meetings or check-ins . I want to be in relationship with you to co-create bold solutions to tackle the housing crisis, public safety, police violence, and climate change. I’m excited to dig in with you all and learn more about the work you are leading.
Doug Nelson — 0/5
Sheila Nezhad — 4/5
Most of my campaign team is under 30, and includes queer, trans and BIPOC youth leaders. I am also hosting a policy session this summer and inviting youth leaders to come speak about the issues that are important to them. I saw thousands of young people mobilize around the cause of defunding the police and abolition during the uprising last summer, and I know that young people are ready for a government that is going to meaningfully involve them and meet their needs. I have experience bringing coalitions together, and young people would absolutely be included in crafting solutions to key issues like housing, climate justice, mental health, public safety & violence prevention.