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Minnesota State Senate District 50

The chief function of a legislator is to enact laws. Each legislator represents a certain area as well as a number of individuals, referred to as constituents, who live in that area. In Minnesota, a state senator represents roughly 78,000 people, while a representative or house member represents approximately 39,000 people. There are 67 members in the Senate and 134 in the House. Senators’ terms are four years (two years in the first election following redistricting) while House members terms are two years.Learn more at the MN Senate website.

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  • Candidate picture

    Karla Hult
    (DFL)

  • Candidate picture

    Owen Michaelson
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (750 characters)

What will you do to support a vibrant economy across Minnesota and to address inflation? (500 character)

What legislation, if any, would you support to address racial or ethnic disparities in Minnesota? (500 characters)

Do you support the adoption of a ballot issue to add the Equal Rights Amendment into the Minnesota State Constitution - why or why not? (500 characters)

What legislation, if any, would you support to protect clean air and water in Minnesota? (500 characters)

What legislation, if any, would you support to meet the need for safe communities? (500 characters)

What changes to legislation would you support to reduce the influence of big money in elections? (500 characters)

telephone 6124377721
Campaign Twitter Handle @karlahult
My priorities reflect what I've heard repeatedly from our community. First, affordability: everyone deserves to live with dignity, regardless of zip code, identity, or age, through affordable healthcare, strong public schools, and stable housing. Second, protecting our fundamental rights: reproductive freedom, public safety through common-sense gun laws, and a healthy environment through clean energy and BWCA stewardship. Third, protecting our democracy -- the guardrails and shared truths that sustain self-governance. As a journalist who's listened to Minnesotans for decades, I know we share more values than division suggests. I'll bring that trust and my advocacy for the underserved to the Capitol as an unwavering voice for our community.
I'll fight for a Minnesota economy that works for everyone, not just some. That means expanding housing investment beyond this year's $165 million bill, tackling skyrocketing child care and healthcare costs, and confronting the $3 billion shortfall looming in the next biennium head-on – with honest budgeting and pragmatic planning. A vibrant economy starts with affordability. I'll bring facts, urgency, and the courage to make hard choices for every Minnesotan – especially as we enter the AI era.
I'll champion legislation confronting racial and ethnic disparities in Minnesota: in housing, health outcomes, education, the environment. Through People Serving People and Alight, I've stood alongside families facing displacement. As founder of So Many Goodbyes, I've seen Black Americans face Alzheimer's and other chronic illnesses at 2x the rate of white Americans. My legislative solutions: trustworthy community clinics, targeted education funding, and communication reaching every community.
I absolutely do, and here's why: The ERA protects Minnesotans from discrimination based on pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, race, color, nationality, and disability. As a mother who experienced miscarriages before fertility treatments led to healthy pregnancies, I know these freedoms must never be stripped away, especially amid growing federal threats to our rights. We must finish what the PRO Act started. In this threatening moment, Minnesotans deserve strong protections; we need the ERA.
As a journalist, I know we must research then support science-based protections for our air and water, including fighting sulfide-mine pollution near the BWCA through SF 875. I'll address federal rollbacks threatening our water quality authority by supporting legislation that invests in clean energy, protects watersheds and wetlands, and ensures polluters pay. I will listen first, lead forward on this existential issue, because future generations deserve clean air, water and a healthy planet.
I've interviewed too many gun violence survivors and grieving families. I absolutely support their conclusion: common-sense reform saves lives -- magazine capacity limits, an assault weapons ban, safe storage laws. I've also spoken with law enforcement leaders, including Bloomington and Edina's police chiefs, who champion balanced crisis response. I'll partner with law enforcement on solutions that respect our rights and keep us safe. Safety also means stable housing, good schools, opportunity.
I'll fight to end Citizens United and its corrosive grip on our democracy. I find it entirely unethical that we pour millions into campaigns while we've dismantled USAID and families struggle to pay for groceries, rent, and mortgages. Elections should be decided by mission and message -- not money. That's why I signed Minnesota's public subsidy agreement. I'll also support the DISCLOSE Act, requiring transparency on who funds our elections, and other reforms to restore real accountability.
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