Organization Endorsements

Elected Official Endorsements

Aisha Gomez, House Representative to District 62A and Ward 8 resident:

I am excited to endorse Soren Stevenson to be the next council member for Ward 8. Soren has demonstrated that he is ready to work towards the change that Minneapolis needs. I look forward to working with him to represent Ward 8 and towards a kinder, safer city”

Jeremiah Ellison, Council Member to Ward 5:

Everyone deserves a fair wage, food on the table, clean air, and to make it home safe at the end of the day. Soren Stevenson has demonstrated the kind of grit, perseverance, and care that it takes to create a kinder, safer Ward 8. That is why I am proud to endorse Soren Stevenson to be your next Ward 8 City Council Member.

Robin Wonsley, Council Member to Ward 2:

Our city is at a crossroads and that requires real leadership. From accountability for MPD to expanding cooperative housing, I have seen Soren’s commitment to community. I look forward to working with Soren on the City Council to create a kinder, safer Minneapolis.

Aisha Chughtai, Council Member to Ward 10:

Everyone in Minneapolis deserves to have what they need to thrive. I’m excited to endorse Soren Stevenson in Ward 8. I’m excited to partner with him at City Hall to ensure every resident has access to safe, stable housing and build a Minneapolis resilient to climate change.

Becky Alper, District 13 Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board:

Soren’s vision for Ward 8 is based on our progressive values that center community voices and the collective good. I look forward to working with him towards our community’s shared vision for the city!

Tom Olsen, Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Commissioner:

I’m proud to support Soren because he is a climate leader who will take bold action on issues like environmental justice and the fight against climate change. Minneapolis needs community-centered leaders like Soren who are willing to move past unsustainable status-quos, no matter the issue, toward a better and more equitable future.

Community Endorsements

Lena K. Gardner, Ward 8 resident, working single Mom by choice, activist and wilderness lover:

I am drawn to a vision of building a kinder, safer Minneapolis. I am heartened to know Soren has formal education in policy-making and I believe his commitment to transforming safety in this city because he has not only survived police violence against his own body, he has come out on the other side ready to work alongside community to create a better city. A Minneapolis with more human dignity and safety for everyone, a climate change ready city and one with good schools. That’s the city I want for me and my daughter. And that’s why I am supporting Soren with Ward 8.

Jam Leomi, Ward 8 resident:

I'm supporting Soren to have representation that not only engages more actively with our ward, but also thinks about prevention for issues in our city instead of just reactive band-aids.

Amanda Madison, mother, community organizer and resident of Ward 8:

I'm excited to support Soren Stevenson for Ward 8 City Council and work alongside him to realize a vision for a kinder and safer Minneapolis. Soren has already demonstrated his clear values and commitment to community and families in just the short time I've known him. He speaks from the heart and puts his words into action. Minneapolis and Ward 8 need more of this kind of community-driven leadership!

Angela Rose Myers, former Minneapolis NAACP President, and former Ward 8 resident:

I am proud to endorse Soren With Ward 8 for Minneapolis city council. I have worked with Soren on issues regarding Police Brutality and in our conversations and friendship I have discussed with him many issues regarding environmental justice, health equity, and housing. I have always been struck by Soren's leadership, humility, kindness, and earnestness. I have no doubt that with his policy background, his lived experience, and his openness to hear different perspectives, he would make an amazing City Council representative.

Dan Swenson-Klatt, Owner of Butter Bakery Cafe and Lyndale Resident

I believe Soren will stand against the tendency to compromise our values and will speak up when decisions are not equitable. Soren is committed to getting things done, but not at the cost of hurting our ward or environmental justice across the city. I was an Andrea Jenkins supporter for many years but have been deeply disappointed by her tendency to side with the mayor and go against the values that she ran on, especially as it relates to the roof depot site. Her calls for pragmatism have been a euphemism for maintaining the status quo, and the status quo of disinvestment in Ward 8 and in communities most affected by environmental injustice is unacceptable. I believe Soren will look out for us in City Hall.

Arianna Nason:

I have been an abolitionist community organizer in Minneapolis for half my life, with the bulk of my work focused in Ward 8 and George Floyd Square. Abolition is about the presence of life-affirming care, and I sincerely believe that Soren can offer the type commitment required to see that through in practical, tangible ways. With his background in policy and lived experience as a survivor of police violence, Soren has hit the ground running to work with and listen to our most impacted community members to create a Minneapolis that is once again for the people, and not just those with access to the most resources. I am proud to offer my community endorsement for Soren in Ward 8, and I'm excited to see him be a part of shaping real change.

Sheila Nezhad, 2021 Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate, and former Lyndale Neighborhood Association Board President, LGBTQ community organizer:

I am thrilled to support Soren Stevenson to be the next ward 8 city council representative! Soren is smart, kind, and deeply knowledgeable. It’s time to make Minneapolis a national leader in housing and community safety. Soren has a solid plan to get us there, together!

Jason Garcia, community activist and former Ward 8 resident:

Soren has the sorts of visions for the future of Minneapolis that make me excited to live here. His background in housing and desire to make Minneapolis more affordable for working class citizens speaks to the way that he cares about people, not just buzzwords. Soren has experienced first-hand some of the worst things about Minneapolis and is using that to help make a differencefor the better.

Jerome Rankine, Ward 8 resident:

Ward 8 deserves a city council member guided by a strong moral compass that points toward equity. Someone who shares the progressive vision our community has been asking for. We all deserve a city that’s kind, just and loving, and I think Soren can help us get there.

Raquel Sidie-Wagner, Ward 8 renter, community organizer, disability advocate, HIV advocate and union member:

As a Kingfield renter for more than a decade, I am thrilled to support Soren as my next city council member. I have spent hours over the last year on the doors on the north side with Soren as we work to bring some overdue and well deserved investment to that part of our city, and I have watched as he has had incredibly thoughtful conversations with community where he listens much more than he talks. Soren’s commitment to a kinder and safer Minneapolis comes from a place of hearing those neighbors who don’t get spaces in halls of power, and bringing their voices with him. In city hall, we have seen the loud voices of the privileged drown out the voices of those neighbors, and I believe Soren will bring a tireless energy to ensuring that that changes.

Track Trachtenberg, renter in Ward 8, organizer, former City staff, youth worker:

I am excited about Soren’s commitment to progressive politics, showing up for workers, and developing people-centered policy. He is clear on what he knows, but also humble and willing to learn from constituents and colleagues.

David Brauer, Ward 8 resident and former journalist:

Our strong mayor system requires the Council be an effective legislative branch. Soren won't be a rubber stamp.

Sarah Tschida, community leader and Kingfield resident:

Soren will bring the political will and sense of urgency to take action on the issues my family and I care about: holistic community safety and accountability for MPD, the climate crisis, and housing for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Lisa Franchett, climate activist and Kingfield resident:

Beyond a doubt, Soren Stevenson is the best person to represent Ward 8 on the city council. He has the experience and commitment needed to make Minneapolis a city where everyone can live in a safe neighborhood. I am concerned about the climate crisis, and Soren will ensure that Minneapolis is implementing climate solutions. In order for us to solve the climate crisis, governments at all levels - city, state, and federal - need to do everything they can to address the problem. Soren is committed to developing city programs that will make weatherization and solar panels available to households that otherwise couldn't afford such improvements. This is a very effective model for climate justice