DFL candidate Ann Johnson Stewart has supported bail reform, Mary Moriarty, and legislation to study reparations during the course of her political career.
Currently running in a special election for a Lake Minnetonka-area seat in the Minnesota Senate, Johnson Stewart was previously a member of the chamber for two years from 2021-23.
During her time in the Senate, Johnson Stewart supported over 100 different pieces of legislation. Among them, Johnson Stewart signed on as a co-author of the Minnesota Migration Act. The bill would have appropriated $2 million to “study and develop reparation proposals for American descendants of chattel slavery who reside in this state.”
Alpha News reached out to Johnson Stewart regarding her support for the Minnesota Migration Act. However, the candidate did not provide any comment for this story.
The founder of a large civil engineering firm, Johnson Stewart also counted herself a supporter of bail reform. A Dec. 8, 2021 online archive of her campaign website contains many statements Johnson Stewart made on criminal justice topics. Among those statements, Johnson Stewart said “I support reforming Minnesota’s cash bail system.”
The Minnetonka resident followed up this statement by discussing her concerns about the current bail system disproportionately harming low-income Minnesotans.
Johnson Stewart further wrote that the Minnesota Legislature could explore “implementing a racially-neutral risk assessment system that defaults to pre-trial release for every defendant, except when defendants are charged with specific serious crimes or when it’s believed there’s a legitimate risk of them not re-appearing in court for their trial.”
Additionally, the same archived page of Johnson Stewart’s website contains a statement on police reform which says: “Some police departments have taken positive steps toward eradicating brutality and discrimination from their ranks, but it’s clear that we must act from the outside if we want to reimagine policing in Minnesota.”
In the proceeding few sentences, Johnson Stewart wrote that the Minnesota Legislature should invest more in mental health professionals, victim advocates, and crisis intervention specialists.
Alpha News reached out to Johnson Stewart regarding her past statements and her position on bail reform. As mentioned previously, the candidate did not provide any comment.
While in office, Johnson Stewart also endorsed Mary Moriarty for Hennepin County attorney in 2022. Johnson Stewart’s endorsement came in the midst of a heated primary for the office that included Moriarty, then-House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, and former Judge Martha Holton Dimick.
“I am excited to endorse Mary Moriarty because she brings the depth of experience that’s required for our next Hennepin County Attorney,” said Johnson Stewart at the time. “Mary will use her 30+ years of expertise in the criminal justice system and work with local leaders to increase public safety in all parts of Hennepin County.”
Since her election as Hennepin County attorney, Moriarty has attracted widespread criticism for her actions in that role. Critics of Moriarty say the Hennepin County attorney seeks lenient criminal sentences, pushes left-wing criminal justice ideas, and engaged in a politically motivated prosecution of Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan.
Alpha News asked Johnson Stewart about her 2022 support for Moriarty. However, the candidate did not respond.
The special election for Minnesota Senate District 45
Johnson Stewart was previously elected to a two-year term in the Minnesota Senate in 2020. At the time, she represented a district that covered large portions of Plymouth and Minnetonka. However, the 2022 redistricting process changed district lines dramatically and Johnson Stewart opted not to seek election in a new district with very different boundaries.
That new district, Minnesota Senate District 45, still includes a large portion of Minnetonka, but it does not include any of Plymouth. In addition to Minnetonka, the new boundaries encompass many other Lake Minnetonka communities such as Mound, Orono, Minnetrista, Shorewood, Wayzata, Deephaven, and Excelsior.
The seat was eventually taken by Democrat Kelly Morrison after the 2022 elections. Earlier this year, Morrison resigned the seat to run for Congress. As a result, a special election for Senate District 45 is underway and will take place alongside the regularly scheduled 2024 elections on Nov. 5.
Currently, the Minnesota Senate has 33 Republicans, 33 Democrats, and 1 vacant seat. As such, the special election for the vacant Lake-Minnetonka seat will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber.
Johnson Stewart faces Republican Kathleen Fowke in the November election.
Fowke previously ran for the seat in 2022 against Morrison but lost by roughly 13 points. While the district certainly favors the Democratic candidate, Fowke is a familiar face in the district having run for the seat just two years ago. Meanwhile, Johnson Stewart will be a new face to a large number of voters who were not a part of her prior district.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
