A registered nurse and adjunct professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul is the first to launch a campaign to succeed Rep. Cedric Frazier in the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 43A.
Lyna Nyamwaya, 49, of New Hope, believes her years of experience in nursing and entrepreneurship have equipped her with the wisdom and compassion needed to serve the residents of the district, which includes all of New Hope and most of Crystal.
Rep. Frazier announced in August that he will not be seeking a fourth term but will instead run to succeed Mary Moriarty as Hennepin County Attorney. He easily won reelection in November in the heavily Democratic district, receiving over 66 percent of the vote.
Nyamwaya worked as a nurse for 15 years at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale – one of four Level 1 trauma centers in the state – and while there developed experience in starting and nurturing nursing programs and educational opportunities for nurses. She founded The African Nurses Network in 2016 to provide advocacy and networking opportunities for those in the profession.
Lately, her time has been devoted to teaching nursing students at St. Catherine University and running her corporate consulting and leadership training company, The Bold Impact Group.
Nyamwaya, a first-time candidate whose political experience has so far been as a canvasser and financial supporter for others, including Frazier, said she’s running to fight for working families who are facing an uncertain economic future.
“For over 20 years, New Hope and Crystal have been my home, the place where Jerry (husband) and I are raising our two children. This community has given me support, opportunities, and safety,” Nyamwaya told Mshale. “Now, as an educator, nurse, and small business owner, I see families facing challenges in healthcare, education, taxes, and the economy that I know we can address together.”
She told Mshale her candidacy has the support of Rep. Frazier but that “the person who has really encouraged me to run is (state) Sen. Ann Rest.” Rest announced in September she will retire when her term ends in 2026, after 40 years in the Legislature.
Nyamwaya said she plans to seek the DFL endorsement.
She said her campaign message centers on being a leader that can bring meaningful change for the district’s residents because of her lived experience, citing education as an example. The Kenyan-born Nyamwaya first came to the U.S. to attend college, an experience she describes as being transformative in her life “which is why I want to ensure students receive a quality education and are workforce-ready for an AI-driven economy.”
The district she seeks to represent shares a border with District 38A, which last year elected the first Kenyan-born legislator in the U.S.
She earned her bachelors of science degree in nursing from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. She has two graduate degrees, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, also in St. Paul and a master’s of education in leadership from Concordia University in Nebraska.
Minnesota’s African community started to affectionately refer to her as Dr. Lyna, after she completed her doctoral studies at Spalding University last year, and received a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership.
She said her educational journey and entrepreneurial experience as an immigrant have shaped some of the priorities she wants to focus on, which in addition to education, include affordable healthcare, supporting labor unions, living wages, the environment and making sure that small businesses can thrive.
As a homeowner, she says she wants to ensure that those in her district have access to affordable housing and achieve the American dream like her.
“New Hope welcomed me over two decades ago as a young immigrant, where neighbors quickly became friends and even extended family. This community gave me my first experience with home ownership,” she said. “These relationships have not only shaped my journey but also deepened my roots in this community and now it is my time to give back.”
House members in the part time Minnesota Legislature earn a salary of $51,750 and a per diem of $86 per day when in session.
65% of District 43A residents are white, while Blacks constitute 20% and Hispanics 7 percent, according to Census data.
The American Community Survey, which is part of the U.S. Census Bureau, puts the median household income in the district at just over $82,000 compared to the state average of $87,000, and per capita income close to $43,000, compared to the state average of $47,000. 10% of the district’s residents live below the poverty line.
With a median age of 40, it is a relatively young population that lives in the district. 27% of those living in the district have a bachelor’s degree or higher while 34% have some college education. Just over 94% have completed high school.
Less than half of its population (47%) is married and census data puts the median value of owner-occupied homes just over $290,000 – with 63% of the 17,783 housing units in the district classified as owner-occupied.
The election will be in November 3, 2026 when the entire Minnesota Legislature (both Senate and House), and all four constitutional offices (Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Attorney General) will be on the ballot. The election to replace U.S. Senator Tina Smith will also be on the same ballot.
Before she can get to the November 3, 2026 election however, Nyamwaya will have to get through the state primary on August 11, if another DFL contender emerges.
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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