BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Another candidate has announced their decision to run for higher office.
Rep. Debra Hilstrom (D-Brooklyn Center) announced her decision to run for Minnesota Attorney General on Friday.
Hilstrom’s decision to run has a caveat to it – she will only run if current Attorney General Lori Swanson runs for governor. This is the same pledge the other two democratic candidates for attorney general have made.
“Should Attorney General Lori Swanson run for Governor, I would like to take her place in that position. I am passionate about standing up against special interests, for Minnesotans, and helping those against whom the deck is stacked,” Hilstrom writes on her website.
Accountability seems to be the main focus of Hilstrom’s campaign. On her website, she states that accountability does not exist when politicians gain favors with lobbyists on Wall Street, how billions are brought to the homes of health care executives, lack of accountability when it comes to prescription drug prices, or with what she calls sweetheart deals.
Married with two children, Hilstrom started her life as a public servant as a Brooklyn Center City Councilwoman for five years in the late 1990’s before taking a role as a prosecutor in the Anoka County Attorney’s Office.
She has received several awards in her time as a legislator. In 2001, 2009, and 2015 she received accolades for her work and leadership in advancing the justice system, especially when it came to racial equality. Hilstrom also received the Legislator of the Year award in 2007 from the Police and Peace Officers Association.
Hilstrom, who was first elected in 2000 to serve as a representative in Brooklyn Center, becomes the first woman this election cycle to announce her candidacy for Minnesota’s attorney general. Rep. John Lesch (D-St. Paul) and former Rep. Ryan Winkler previously announced their decision to run for attorney general. On the Republican side, former Rep. Doug Wardlow and attorney Harry Niska announced earlier this year.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
