St. Paul Mayor Candidate
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Melvin Carter III (He, Him, His)
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: Our administration’s focus has always been bringing people together to build a Saint Paul that works for all of us – that’s how we intend to campaign, and that’s why we’re seeking the DFL endorsement. While we want to win reelection to build on the success of the past four years, our community can’t wait for an election to come and go before getting to work on caring for one another amid the ongoing public health and economic crisis. That means our campaign must be a vehicle for resource coordination, community action, and positive change — right now.
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St. Paul School Board Candidates
(displayed in alphabetical order by last name)
Voters will elect four School Board members: three for four-year terms, and one for a special election two-year term.
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James Farnsworth (He, Him, His)
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: My values and platform are consistent with the DFL principles and value placed on public education. I would be honored to receive the DFL endorsement and would govern in a manner that’s consistent with the progressive values held within the DFL platform.
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Halla Henderson (She, Her, Hers)
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: I am seeking the DFL endorsement because I believe that the DFL creates a needed space for a progressive coalition to come together and elect candidates who will govern together alongside them. I am proud to be a leader in our party, and I am deeply invested in strengthening our ties to the community by bringing in new voters and young people.
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Clayton Howatt (He, Him, His)
https://www.claytonforschoolboard.com/
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: I am seeking the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party. I am a long time active member of the DFL party. I believe that a well functioning democratically elected government is the most efficient and equitable manner of delivering services that support the public good. The DFL party is one of the main contributing factors of why our state and city are seen as leaders in progressive policies across the nation. I strongly share the values of the DFL in the areas of equity and inclusion. The city of St. Paul, as well as St. Paul Public Schools, has become one of the most diverse communities in the country, and beyond. The DFL party is working hard to embrace our diversity. I also hope to play a role in shaping the future of the St. Paul DFL education policies with a focus on transparency, democratic oversight, and a renewed commitment to integration. I humbly request the support and trust of the members of the DFL party to endorse my campaign to join the St. Paul Board of Education.
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Zoe Sblendoriogiebel (They, Them, Theirs)
https://sites.google.com/view/zoe4spps/home
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: I am seeking the DFL endorsement because I am committed to the DFL, I have worked with and participated in many DFL campaigns. I am hoping to receive this endorsement because it would help me win given my age and gender identity. I am sure some folks who would otherwise agree with me may over look me for these reasons.
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Jim Vue (He, Him, His)
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: I am seeking the DFL endorsement for a number of reasons. As a parent, community member, and current school board member, I have strived to create lasting change that centers collaborative leadership and community-driven decision-making in order to confront and tackle the practices of white supremacy, which is at the intersection of all district inequities. These ideals closely align with those of the DFL, namely, in that it is committed to perpetuating representative governance, not only within itself as an organization but also throughout levels of government. I also value its commitment to the inclusion and encouraged participation of underrepresented groups, which is essential if we want to make community-driven decisions that reflect our community here in Saint Paul.
I see the DFL endorsement as an opportunity to engage and establish relationships with like-minded members of our community who care deeply about our schools and city and are committed to bringing about lasting change and progress for all of us.
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Uriah Ward (He, Him, His)
Please explain why you’re seeking DFL endorsement: I am a long-time Democratic Party leader, a progressive organizer and an educator running for Saint Paul School Board. I’m proud to seek the DFL endorsement because we are the party that fights for public education. I’m ready to fight for our schools alongside my fellow DFLers as a member of the School Board!
I’m a former middle school teacher, Social Studies department chair and chess team coach. I have worked in transitional education and currently work as a financial aid administrator at Augsburg University. I earned my Master of Arts in Education in 2018 and have a well-rounded understanding of our education system.
I’ve held leadership roles within the Democratic Party for over a decade. I’ve twice been an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention, served as the President of the Saint Paul Young DFL and was an organizer on 2018’s Vote Yes for Saint Paul Kids referendum campaign.
I am also a labor organizer. I initiated and helped lead the successful effort to unionize my fellow staff members at Augsburg. We were the first private university in Minnesota to unionize our staff!
I’m running to be an advocate for the schools our students deserve. I would approach this work with a strong background in education and with a demonstrated ability to organize for progressive change.
I hope that the delegates will vote to endorse our campaign for School Board and that we can work together to improve our schools and our community for many years to come!
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