Democrat Huldah Hiltsley will become Minnesota’s first legislator of Kenyan heritage after defeating Republican Brad Olson in a Minnesota House district that includes Brooklyn Park and Osseo.
On Tuesday, Hiltsley received 65% of the vote, to 35% for Olson in the contest for House District 38A.
“I am excited, I cannot believe it, it is history in the making. We worked so hard getting to this point,” she said. “Now the work starts, the work of serving.”
“Together we will create a district that uplifts everybody, a district that truly feels like home.”
Supporters at her watch party in Brooklyn Park cheered her historic win Tuesday.
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Monni Nyaribo, 28, a marketing and biological science student, said she was drawn to Hiltsley because of their shared Kenyan heritage.
“She is working on inclusivity and building a strong community, because within the African community everything is done together,” Nyaribo said.
Campaign volunteer Aaliyah Murray, 19, said Hiltsley is one of the first candidates she felt she could advocate for.
“She focuses on public safety and also the youth but without incriminating the youth, which I love,” Murray said.
District 38A, which was redistricted in 2020, is home to several immigrant communities. Thirty-three percent of the area’s inhabitants are Black, 18% Asian, 9% Hispanic and 38% white, according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Before the redistricting, the seat represented residents of Lino Lakes and part of Hugo and was reliably Republican. But Brooklyn Park and Osseo have been Democratic strongholds for more than 20 years.
Hiltsley, who works as a data security manager, beat Liberian American candidate Wynfred Russell in the August DFL primary. In 2022, she ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate.
In the final days before the election, Hiltsley sought to reach independent and swing voters, vowing to work across the aisle to “get things done for the district,” she said.
Hiltsley said she wants to make sure that everyone in the community feels safe, provide affordable housing and access to quality education, and create an environment where small businesses can thrive.
“People are super nervous about what’s going on nationally, but our message, and our campaign, continues to be rooted in local politics, because that’s what touches the average voter directly,” she said.
This is part of Sahan Journal’s live election coverage.
