Samakab Hussein
Samakab Hussein | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 65A district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Rena Moran |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 12, 1980 Somalia |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Spouse | married |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Education | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (BA) Metropolitan State University |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Samakab Hussein (born October 12, 1980) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Hussein represents District 65A in the Twin Cities, which includes parts of the city of Saint Paul in Ramsey County.[1][2]
Early life, education and career[edit]
Hussein came to the United States from Somalia when he was 14. He received his bachelor's degree in business and accounting from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and a M.A.P.L. in advocacy and political leadership from Metropolitan State University in 2023.[1]
In 2015, Hussein unsuccessfully challenged Ward 1 Saint Paul city councilor Dai Thao.[3] Thao challenged many of Hussein's delegates, saying that they lived in Minneapolis, not Saint Paul.[4] Hussein's campaign manager called the claims "absolutely baseless".[4] The DFL endorsing convention lasted 10 hours and ended with no endorsement after neither candidate reached the 60% delegate threshold.[5]
In 2016, Hussein was a delegate for Hillary Clinton in Minnesota's delegation to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The Minnesota delegation had the largest number of Muslim and Somali delegates at the convention.[6]
Hussein supported former city council member and BMO Harris Bank senior vice president Pat Harris's 2017 Saint Paul mayoral campaign.[7]
Minnesota House of Representatives[edit]
Hussein was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2022. He first ran after redistricting and after six-term DFL incumbent Rena Moran announced she would run for Ramsey County Commissioner.[1] He is the first Somali-American to represent St. Paul in the Minnesota Legislature.[1]
Hussein is vice chair of the Legacy Finance Committee and serves on the Capital Investment, Housing Finance and Policy, and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees.[1]
Political positions[edit]
Hussein supported legislation that would have guaranteed rideshare drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft wage increases, employment protections and better insurance coverage.[8] The bill passed both chambers of the legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Tim Walz on May 25, 2023.[9]
Hussein joined a group of four Muslim legislators who condemned a Star Tribune editorial cartoon they called racist and Islamophobic. Star Tribune CEO and publisher Steve Grove apologized for the cartoon.[10] In the aftermath of a suspected arson at a Saint Paul mosque, Hussein said he would push legislators to hold the offenders accountable and called for solidarity with the Muslim community.[11][12]
Electoral history[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Samakab Hussein | 7.018 | 71.21 | |
| Republican | John Schonebaum | 1,522 | 15.44 | |
| Legal Marijuana Now | Miki Frost | 1,302 | 13.21 | |
| Write-in | 13 | 0.13 | ||
| Total votes | 9,855 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Personal life[edit]
Hussein lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his spouse, and has two children.[1] He is Muslim.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Hussein, Samakab - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ "Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ Duchschere, Kevin (January 13, 2015). "First-time candidates flocking to St. Paul City Council races". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ a b Duchschere, Kevin (March 5, 2015). "St. Paul beat: Delegate challenges could be issue at ward convention". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Duchschere, Kevin (March 7, 2015). "St. Paul DFLers fail to endorse for First Ward council seat". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Pugmire, Tim (2016-07-26). "Somali presence big in state DNC delegation". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Nelson, Tim (2017-10-16). "Snapshot: Who's running for mayor in St. Paul and why". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Nesterak, Max (2023-05-10). "Bill regulating Uber and Lyft could hold up the rest of the legislative agenda in Minnesota". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ May 25, 2023 (2023-05-25). "Walz vetoes bill adding protections for Uber, Lyft drivers". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Olson, Rochelle; Bierschbach, Briana (April 26, 2023). "4 Muslim legislators condemn Star Tribune editorial cartoon; publisher apologizes". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Jackson, Kyeland; Krauss, Louis (May 17, 2023). "Minnesota Muslims 'on edge' after sixth incident of vandalism, now arson at St. Paul mosque". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Ibrahim, Mohamed (2023-04-27). "Muslim lawmakers, community members urge action following attacks on mosques". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 65A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.