Cam Gordon - Minneapolis Council Ward 2 (Incumbent)
Cam was first elected to the City Council Ward 2 in 2005 and has been re-elected twice, in 2009 and 2013.
Cam has lived in Minneapolis all his life and in or near the second ward since 1977 in the Cedar-Riverside, Longfellow and Seward neighborhoods. He has owned a duplex in Seward since 1991 where he lives with his family.
Cam graduated from West High School in Minneapolis in 1973 and with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1977. After getting his Bachelor of Science degree in education, Cam went on to complete extensive graduate work in early childhood development and Montessori education. He is a writer, musician and accomplished Montessori teacher. Before being elected in 2005 he operated a small child care program and children's music company with Sarah and was Associate Editor of the nationally distributed education newspaper, Public School Montessorian. He is author of Together with Montessori, a guide to help parents and staff work together in harmony to create better schools.
Over that past 28 years he has worked in the community as a teacher, community organizer and performer as well as a reporter for the neighborhood newspaper, the Seward Profile, and editor of its West Bank Stories section.
Website: www.camgordon.org
Facebook Page here
Twitter: @CameronAGordon
Elizabeth Dickinson - Saint Paul Mayor
Elizabeth Dickinson has lived on St. Paul’s West Side since 1998 with her husband of 30 years, Christopher Childs.
Born in Massachusetts, she attended public schools in her hometown of Chelmsford. Her community service and activism started when she moved to St. Paul and noticed a coal burning smokestack from her window: she was motivated to gather concerned neighbors to start the Clean Energy Now coalition, which pressured Xcel to convert its urban power plants to natural gas – the cleanest option at the time.
She ran for St. Paul City Council in ’03 and for St. Paul Mayor in ’05 as a Green Party-endorsed candidate, entering the mayoral race late but winning nearly 20 percent of the vote (compared to the incumbent’s 27 percent) in the September 3-way primary – despite being outspent by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Elizabeth is not a career politician, nor is she beholden to corporate interests. She is a strong believer in the core Green principles of social, economic, and environmental justice, grassroots democracy, and non-violence.
Along with the Green Party endorsement Elizabeth is also endorsed by as the number one choice of the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, and womenwinning!
Website: www.elizabethdickinson.org
Facebook Page here
Twitter: @MayorDickinson
Instagram: @DickinsonForSaintPaul
Samantha Pree-Stinson - Minneapolis Council Ward 3
Samantha and her husband and have been married for 13 years and the couple has 3 boys in Minneapolis schools ages 17, 10, and 6.
Samantha and her family have lived in NE Minneapolis for the last 7 years and they are contributors to their community and beyond.
Samantha has served in the US Army as a Combat Medic SGT and has dedicated her professional career in healthcare to providing equity in the workplace for affinity groups so that they can obtain mentorship, development, and engagement opportunities to advance within their careers and chosen fields.
Samantha attended Minneapolis Business College and went on to earn a BS in Organizational Psychology and a Project Management Professional Certification from Frankling University and UC Irvine Extention respectively. She has served her community in public education by chairing the 2020 Committee, coaching NE/SE soccer league, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of KMOJ Radio Station and serves as the 2nd Vice Chair.
“The best investment you can ever make is in yourself and your communities.” –Sam Pree-Stinson
Website: http://www.preefor3.ruck.us/
Facebook Page here
Twitter: @SamPreeStinson
Terry White - Minneapolis Council Ward 8
Terry and his wife have raised two boys, 10 & 11, in South Minneapolis. Through school and baseball, they have come to appreciate how thoughtful and supportive this community can be.
Terry has been active in the Green Party since graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1993 where he convinced the administration to start a recycling program in the dormitories. His campaign for city council Ward 8 is his first as a candidate.
Terry has been a campaign worker for several different campaigns, including judges, state representatives, city council and he ran a field office for the Green candidate for Governor in New Mexico in the mid-90’s.
Since moving to Minneapolis, Terry has worked as a marketing operations manager for two healthcare companies. This work has given him valuable experience building coalitions to address complex issues.
During the campaign, Terry plans to build awareness in Ward 8 for the Green Party by discussing our values with his neighbors. Specific topics will include implementing the city’s Climate Action Plan, rebuilding the 40th street bridge that crosses over 35W, and directing more of the city’s spending to local, minority, and women-owned businesses.
Website: terryforward8.org
Facebook Page here
Twitter: @TerryForWard8
Latrisha Vetaw, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner At-Large
LaTrisha Vetaw has lived in Minneapolis for most of her life. In her day job, she works with youth in North Minneapolis. LaTrisha is an experienced leader and community organizer who has worked in her community for more than a decade to help advocate for policies and programs to make Minneapolis a healthier place to live.
She has served as the Board Chair of Our Streets Minneapolis (formerly the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition), successfully advocated for a tobacco-free parks policy that covers all Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Property, been the Program Director of the Neighborhood Orange Bike program -which aims to increase bicycle use among communities of color and underserved populations - and created the Breathe Free North youth coalition in 2007. The Breathe Free North coalition is comprised of primarily African American at-risk youth from North Minneapolis that work to protect our city from the harms of tobacco through policy change.
Website: latrishavetawforparks.nationbuilder.com
Facebook Page here
Billy Menz, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner for District 1
Billy is not a native Minnesotan but has quickly come to love and adore Minneapolis. He and his partner Sarah moved to Minneapolis for Sarah’s medical residency. Minneapolis, specifically NE Minneapolis, is the home they had been searching for because of how welcoming people have been to their family over the years.
Working as a teacher and volunteer, Billy’s whole life has been dedicated to serving those who utilize and appreciate public services. Working as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Texas taught Billy the value of service, the importance of community, and the strength of individuals.
Throughout his teaching career he has always worked to ensure equal access to all the gifts education has to offer students of color, students from different cultures and students who don’t speak English.
Billy is running for the Minneapolis Park Board because he wants all people in his community to feel welcome, valued and respected in his city’s world-class parks.
Website: menz4parkboard.net
Facebook Page here
Charles Exner, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner for District 3
A long-time parks enthusiast with an environmental background, Charles will bring a much-needed voice for renters and working people to the Parks Board.
Charles’ plan for Minneapolis parks includes park plantings that focus on native wildlife, equitable hiring practices, class offerings, living wages for parks employees, developing parks for the use of individuals who need them most and more!
(more bio to come!)
Website: betterparks.net
Facebook Page here
More Green candidates to come!