I’m going to do another easy one. This is an open seat; the incumbent is not running. This district includes downtown Saint Paul, the Westside neighborhood (which, for the uninitiated, is the bit of Saint Paul directly south of downtown — it’s Westside because it’s the west side of the Mississippi River), and I think some of West Saint Paul (which is its own city and should not be confused with either the Westside neighborhood of Saint Paul, or the western portion of Saint Paul.) If you live in West Saint Paul and are looking for more information on your own races, there is an excellent voter guide at the West Saint Paul Reader.

There are two people running in this primary.

María Isa Pérez-Hedges (DFL-endorsed)
Anna Botz

María Isa is a musician, progressive Democrat, and insulin organizer (she has Type I diabetes) who worked to pass the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act. She’s been endorsed by the DFL, all the related organizations, and by an array of both progressive and centrist-leaning Democrats.

Anna Botz’s website immediately sent up a red flag for me when she said, “I identify politically with our parents’ generation of Democrat (think JFK).” I mean, I like JFK fine, but when someone wants to say that they’re DEFINITELY THE OLD FASHIONED SORT OF DEMOCRAT NOT THE MODERN KIND OF DEMOCRAT they’re signaling something and it’s almost certainly something I do not like. In her case apparently she’s saying that she’s opposed to abortion rights. (Weirdly, she doesn’t mention that MCCL endorsement on her website, and according to people who’ve met her campaigning, she doesn’t talk about it….almost like she knows it wouldn’t be popular with the people whose support she needs?) There’s more, but frankly, that’s sufficient!

I would absolutely vote for María Isa, who looks great!

In addition to writing political commentary, I write science fiction and fantasy. My book that came out in April 2021, Chaos on CatNet, takes place in a future Minneapolis. It’s a sequel to Catfishing on CatNet and signed copies of both books are usually available from Dreamhaven. You will also be able to get them from Uncle Hugo’s when it reopens at 2716 E 31st St! (and maybe by mail order now? I’m not sure how much mail order Don is doing while getting ready to re-open.)

I do not have a Patreon or Ko-Fi, but you can make a donation to encourage my work! I get a lot of satisfaction watching fundraisers I highlight getting funded (or, in the case of the Movement Voter fundraiser, continuing to raise money past their goal). I explained back in May why I’m fundraising for the Movement Voter PAC and that fundraiser is still active. (Also, I owe some embarrassing readings of my juvenalia to the Internet.)

I also went looking and found two DonorsChoose fundraisers for classrooms at Bethune Community School in North Minneapolis: math manipulatives for pre-K students (this is such a good idea) and a nice book organizer for a first-grade classroom where the shelving is coming apart.