Don Samuels

Political platform statement

Why I am running for this office: I am running to improve the discourse in Washington, to fight productively for the Democratic agenda, and to represent the constituents of the 5th District. When my wife Sondra and I first moved to the Jordan neighborhood of north Minneapolis, a bullet went through our window during the first week of living in our new home. Instead of moving, we chose to stay and organize our neighbors to advocate for safety in our neighborhoods. Starting in 2003, I served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and one on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board to make a difference for people in my community. On the city council, that meant holding vigils after someone in my ward was killed to draw attention to the community violence that city leaders had accepted for too long. As a school board director, that meant working to reduce the achievement gap that keeps Black and Brown students behind. As a private citizen for the past four years, I have had the opportunity to work on things that interest me. Sondra likes to say I am a tinkerer. When something isn't working, I do all I can to learn about it so that I can fix it. After Philando Castile was killed by a police officer, I started the "Lights On" program, which allowed police to issue repair vouchers in place of tickets for vehicle equipment violations. That program is now being utilized across the country. Too many D.C. politicians find their success through the division and purity politics that have defined our era. It is time to go beyond making a point, and make a difference.

Home town: Kingston, Jamaica