Abdi Daisane, a Somali American Democrat, has been elected to the Minnesota House, defeating Republican Mike Conway in the District 14A seat. With all 18 precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Daisane with 9,164 votes, or 51.6%, compared with Conway's 8,570 votes, or 48.3%, a margin of 594 votes. Daisane's victory marks a significant milestone for the Somali American community in Minnesota.
Daisane's win is his second consecutive bid for the District 14A seat, having lost to Republican Rep. Bernie Perryman in 2024. The seat became open after Perryman opted against seeking a third House term and instead challenged Democratic state Sen. Aric Putnam in Senate District 14. Daisane advanced to the general election after winning the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary in August with 62.52% of the vote.
During the campaign, Daisane focused on key issues such as affordability, small businesses, and government accountability. In a September debate, he pledged not to raise taxes on working families, seniors, and struggling small businesses, while saying wealthy individuals and large corporations should not receive the same commitment. His campaign resonated with voters in the St. Cloud area.
The District 14A seat includes parts of St. Cloud and surrounding communities, which had been represented by a Republican. The broader St. Cloud area has produced closely contested races in recent elections, and President Donald Trump carried the district in 2024. Daisane's victory marks a shift in the district's representation.
Daisane's win is part of a larger trend of Somali American Democrats making gains in Minnesota politics. On the same night, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a prominent Somali American Democrat, won a fifth term in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. With 216 of 217 precincts reporting, Omar had 261,920 votes, or 76.45%, compared with Republican John Nagel's 55,698 votes, or 16.26%.
Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee, has represented the Minneapolis-area district since 2019. She became the first Somali American elected to the U.S. Congress when she won her first term in 2018. Daisane's victory adds another Somali American elected official to Minnesota's political landscape.
Daisane's election to the Minnesota House marks a significant milestone for the state's Somali American community. His victory, along with Omar's re-election, demonstrates the growing influence of Somali American voters in Minnesota politics. Daisane's campaign focused on issues that resonated with voters, and his persistence paid off in the end.
Key points
- Abdi Daisane won the Minnesota State house election, defeating Republican Mike Conway and flipping a previously Republican-held district in the St. Cloud area.
- Daisane's victory marks a significant milestone for the Somali American community in Minnesota, adding another elected official to the state's political landscape.
- The election results demonstrate the growing influence of Somali American voters in Minnesota politics, with both Daisane and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar winning re-election.
