MRLF Approves 11 More Local Endorsements
MINNEAPOLIS — Voting September 13, delegates to the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO approved local endorsements for school board races in four school districts and also for city council races in Golden Valley and Minnetonka.
For all these races, the general election will be Tuesday, November 7 and no primary election will be conducted.
Early voting begins September 22.
For all local elections in the MRLF’s seven-county jurisdiction, the MRLF endorsement is the AFL-CIO endorsement.
Anoka-Hennepin school board:
Susan Witt endorsed for District 2
Susan Witt won the MRLF endorsement for the District 2 seat for Anoka-Hennepin school board.
The incumbent is not running.
Witt is a retired public school teacher — with 37 years of teaching experience — who continues to be active in Education Minnesota.
The MRLF previously endorsed Erin Heers-McArdle for the Anoka-Hennepin District 1 seat and Michelle Langenfeld for the District 5 seat.
(See page 7 for profiles of MRLF’s Anoka-Hennepin school board candidates).
Bloomington school board:
Incumbents Nelly Korman,
Mia Olson, Heather Starks endorsed
The MRLF endorsed three incumbents for Bloomington school board: Nelly Korman, Mia Olson, and Heather Starks. All are running At Large in a field of six candidates, with the top three to be elected.
Korman is seeking a fourth term. She is a teacher in the St. Louis Park school district and an Education Minnesota union member.
Olson and Starks are seeking a second term.
Olson’s experience includes almost 30 years as a substitute teacher in the Bloomington schools.
Starks is a former teacher, past president of the Minnesota PTA, and former president of the Bloomington PTSA.
Fridley school board:
Incumbents Jake Karnopp and Sara Jones endorsed, plus Erik Keeler
The MRLF endorsed two incumbents for Fridley school board, Jake Karnopp and Sara Jones, plus Erik Keeler.
Seeking a second term, Karnopp is a 23-year member of Branch 9 of the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Jones was appointed to the board in June 2023 to fill a vacancy and now is running for election for a full term.
Keeler is a member of Plumbers Local 15 — he’s a first year apprentice — and is a graduate of Fridley High School.
Jones, Karnopp and Keeler are running in a field of five candidates, with the top three to be elected.
St. Louis Park school board:
Incumbent Virginia Mancini endorsed
The MRLF voted to endorse Virginia Mancini for re-election to the St. Louis Park school board.
Mancini is a member of Education Minnesota and works as an English teacher at Mahtomedi Middle School.
She was appointed to the St. Louis Park school board to fill a vacancy in March 2022 and then won a special election for the seat in November 2022.
She is running in a field of five candidates, with the top four to be elected.
Golden Valley city council:
Incumbents Sophia Ginis
and Maurice Harris endorsed
The MRLF voted to endorse incumbents Sophia Ginis and Maurice Harris for re-election to the Golden Valley city council.
Harris first won election in 2019, running with MRLF endorsement.
Ginis was appointed to the city council in June 2023 to fill a vacancy and now is seeking election for a full term.
Ginis and Harris are running in a field of three candidates, with the top two to be elected.
Minnetonka city council:
Incumbent Kissy Coakley endorsed
The MRLF endorsed Kissy Coakley for re-election to represent Ward 4 on the Minnetonka city council.
She is running in a field of three candidates, with the top vote-getter to be elected.
See page 12 for the full list of 2023 endorsements by the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.