Hi, I’m Beth! I have lived in District 64A in St. Paul for nearly 20 years. For almost the last decade, my wife Pam and I have owned a home in the Summit University neighborhood. We often say that we live in a zoo, since our two dogs, Thackery and Bella, and two cats, Charcoal and Braxton, add so much joy (and pet hair) to our lives.  I love the life we have built here, our neighbors, and this district.

For the last 30 years, I have focused my career and my volunteer activities on fighting for justice, defending and expanding democracy, and building power so that all of us can thrive, regardless of where we come from or what we look like. I’ve done this work as a legislative advocate in a variety of roles: as a legislative director for progressive nonprofit organizations, as the Deputy Secretary of State for 8  years, currently as a legislative staffer, and as a volunteer leader. In each of these roles, I’ve partnered with labor, community organizations, and other stakeholders. As a result, I’ve succeeded time and again in getting groundbreaking legislation passed, on issue after issue, even as control of the Legislature and the Governor’s Office has shifted.

Here are some of my accomplishments: 

Safe at Home

I won passage of the legislation that enacted the Safe at Home program, and then designed and oversaw it once I became a Deputy Secretary of State, taking the best parts of similar programs from around the country to create the national model that other states now emulate.  Safe at Home is a statewide program that allows  survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or others who fear for their safety to effectively hide from those who wish to do them harm.

Protecting and Expanding the Freedom to Vote

I founded the Voting Rights Coalition 20 years ago and won passage of ground-breaking laws to protect voters from intimidation (that the RNC complained about) and to make it easier for voters in residential facilities, including nursing homes, domestic violence shelters, and homeless shelters to be able to register and vote.

As Deputy Secretary of State, I oversaw development of online voter registration and absentee ballot tracking, fought the Voter ID proposal, and streamlined voting processes for military and overseas voters, based upon recommendations from the Pentagon. After helping to manage the Franken / Coleman recount, I oversaw the overhaul of how we process absentee ballots to ensure that voters are treated consistently statewide and have a chance to correct any issues so their votes can be counted.

I currently administer the Senate Elections Committee, where I partner with the committee chair and Senators on the committee to shape and pass our democracy agenda, which has included preregistration for 16- and 17-year olds, temporary polling places on college campuses and Tribal Lands, the Minnesota Voting Rights Act, and enacting safeguards in our system based upon research I conducted about how the vote was being suppressed in other states.

Corporate Accountability

While at the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action, I won passage of nation-leading laws to ensure accountability when public funds are given to private corporations.

2SLGBTQ+ - Equity, Racial-Equity, and Disability-Equity 

In all of the roles I have centered the experience of the most marginalized in our communities. 

I served as the chair of OutFront Minnesota’s political action committee for 7 years, through which I helped elect candidates who support 2SLGBTQ+ rights and racial equity. During this time, I shifted the focus of our endorsing decisions to require not just support for traditional gay and lesbian issues, but also to require a strong commitment to racial- and trans-equity to even be considered for our endorsement. When BIPOC and transgender members of our community thrive, the rest of us will as well. I'm committed to protecting our gains in the legislature so that Minnesota can continue to be a shining example of 2SLGBTQ+ equity for the nation.

I fought against photo ID requirements and for ending prison gerrymandering, in particular, because of the disparate impact these policies have on Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. I won passage of some of the strongest voter protections now in law in partnership with members of the Red Lake Nation, after the RNC sent out of state attorneys to the reservation to try to suppress the vote. As far back as two decades ago, I worked to ensure that Tribal IDs are accepted for same day registration and fought alongside then-state Rep. Keith Ellison for passage of Restore the Vote.

I worked as a policy expert for the Minnesota House Judiciary Committee which oversees civil and human rights protections and for the Public Safety Committee where I helped craft legislation that focused on community safety through prevention, intervention, and police accountability. 

I worked for several years with people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing to ensure that employment programs, schools, and the state government serve these populations and set them up for success. I gained insight into the challenges that they and other people with disabilities face on a day to day basis. 

Small Business Owners

I used to work for Main Street Alliance, where I engaged small business owners in the push for Paid Family Medical Leave and accessible and affordable health care.

As a follow-up, in my free time this summer and fall, I have been organizing small business owners to join the fight against authoritarianism and for policies that will allow us all to thrive, including accessible and affordable health care and child care. They are critical partners, as they can counter the traditional conservative voices of corporate America as to what is actually good for the economy and job creators. 

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These are just a few examples of my career and volunteer accomplishments. At every step along the way, I’ve centered the voices and perspectives of those I’ve served. I firmly believe in people-powered democracy and work to protect it every day. What I’m most committed to is being a representative for District 64A who will continue holding the line to protect Minnesota’s most marginalized people, defend democracy, and address the affordability crisis.

Above all else, I’m a fighter. I believe in standing up to bullies in every form, whether they target individuals, communities, or our democracy itself. And I believe in what we’ve built in Minnesota, and I’m determined to protect our home for all of us. Join our campaign to fight for Minnesota by voting for me in the December 16th primary and January 27th special election,  volunteering to talk with other voters, or by making a donation.

I hope to talk to you while we’re out knocking on doors as I work to be your next Representative in the Minnesota House!

I look forward to serving you in the very near future!