Former Brooklyn Park City Council member Wynfred Russell on Monday formally filed to run in the August 13 Democratic primary for State Representative in Minnesota’s 38A House District. Mr. Russell hopes to replace Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL) who announced his retirement in January. The heavily Democratic district encompasses the southern half of Brooklyn Park and the entire city of Osseo.
Mr. Russell was the first Liberian-born person elected to the Brooklyn Park City Council where he served for one term. His challenger for the Democratic nomination is another fellow immigrant, Kenyan-born Huldah Hiltsley who filed last week. The two are the only candidates in the August 13 Democratic primary which sets the stage for history to be made in November, as the winner of that primary is highly favored to win in the general election.
A win in November by either Mr. Russell or Ms. Hiltsley will mark the first time a Liberian-born or Kenyan-born legislator has been elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
The two African immigrants battled for the Democratic endorsement in April but none could garner the required 60% threshold to win it.
The GOP did not field a candidate to challenge Rep. Nelson in 2022, but Mr. Brad Olson filed last week and will face off with either Ms. Hiltsley or Mr. Russell in November.
A day after his filing, an ebullient Mr. Russell told Mshale that he believes his deep roots in the district will serve his candidacy well. He said he has lived in the area for over 20 years.
He said he even though he did not succeed in winning the DFL endorsement in April, his strong showing at the convention energized his campaign.
“The campaign has been riding a wave of optimism, engaging each resident and reminding them that I am the most qualified candidate in the race with the experience to deliver for them at the state capitol,” Mr. Russell said. “The voters of District 38A trust me, I have roots in the district, I am their neighbor, I know the issues firsthand, so they can expect to see an energized campaign where their issues are put front and center.”
Key Dates:
June 28: Vote by mail or in person starts and runs through August 12 for the primary.
July 23: The last day to register in advance to be able to vote on Primary Election Day on August 13 and save time at the polls (you can still register on Primary Election Day at the polling site, just plan on extra time).
Author
About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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