We can do better together.
Why am I running?
I’m Kimberly Wilburn. I am a mother, a wife, a veterinarian, a scientist, a community organizer, an activist, and a community member. The world has changed since I first announced my candidacy in December. But the problems that have been highlighted by the pandemic and now the murder of George Floyd are not new. People have been crying out for decades, for longer, and their voices have largely gone unheard. We can no longer accept the status quo – it is literally killing people. Right now there is a lot of attention being paid to criminal justice and policing. But what happens months from now once the officers’ trials are complete. What happens many, many months from now when the pandemic is over and people go “back to normal”. History has shown us that normal means going back to ignoring the voices of poor people, black, brown, and indigenous people, lgbtq people, disabled people. That is not an option for me. I originally decided to run for county commissioner because I know that we can do a better job at serving the traditionally underserved and marginalized and because we don’t have enough voices and faces like mine at the table and because for too long I’ve watched politicians make promises and forget them, forget me and you once the election is over. And then a few weeks ago, I witnessed not just a murder. I witnessed an officer, sworn to uphold the law, kneel on another man’s neck as though his life had no meaning, secure in the knowledge that he would face no consequences. If that isn’t a reason why more voices like mine are needed, I don’t know what is. We are facing issues that affect all of us – the environment & climate, housing, criminal justice, transportation & infrastructure. We need someone who will approach the problems that we all face with an equity lens, who will listen to those voices that continue to cry out. We need me.Personal not Politics
For me, this race is not about furthering my political career or accepting the status quo because “that’s just the way things are”. It’s about having a seat at the table and being a voice for District 6 residents. The issues are personal and the stakes are very real. It breaks my heart that there are people living on the streets, that there are children who go to bed hungry, that there are elderly who are unable to afford needed medical care, that there are huge disparities in opportunities and outcomes for people of color in every area of life – from education to criminal justice to employment, that immigrants in a country of immigrants are often vilified instead of welcomed, that indigenous peoples continue to face oppression and that any recognition of their place in our history is somehow seen as “denying history”, and I am terrified about what we are doing to the planet and what the future will look like for our children and grandchildren if we don’t make some changes.Volunteer!
Do you want to be involved in doing politics in a new way? Become a crusader and help me get elected!
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- Attend your precinct caucus on Feb. 25 and become a delegate to the DFL County Endorsing Convention on April 18. Go here to learn more about caucuses, to find your precinct, and to sign up to be a delegate for me.
- Be a campaign volunteer. Go here to select volunteer opportunities and to sign up for our mailing list.
- Donate. Go here to make a secure donation.