It’s been just over a year since Donald Trump took office. Women from all over the country took to the streets to send a message to the new administration that women’s rights are human rights and women will not be silenced.

One thing we can do to make women’s voices heard in 2018 is elect more women to the Minnesota legislature. Less than one-third of Minnesota state legislators are women. Here in District 61B, we have the chance to elect a woman to represent us, and we urge you to join us and caucus for Meggie Wittorf on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

We are supporting Meggie because of the combination of her business acumen, her history of effective advocacy and her ability to get things done. Having worked at General Mills as a finance and marketing professional for the past nine years, Meggie knows how to manage a budget and build consensus around a brand, which will be tremendous assets to achieve legislative success.

She understands that in order to create equity for women and people of color, we must create sustainable programs, like the women’s mentorship program she chaired at the University of Minnesota when she was earning her MBA.

As a board member at OutFront Minnesota, Meggie fights to protect and strengthen LGBTQ rights. That includes creating safe and inclusive schools for youth and building a wide net of resources for those experiencing crisis.

Meggie also has a fluency in Greater Minnesota that comes from her parents who grew up in a small farming community. They intentionally moved to Wayzata because they wanted their three daughters to get a good education and have the chance to go to college because they didn’t.

We need Meggie’s voice at the Capitol. She will advance an agenda focused on economic equity and advocacy that will benefit those of us who live in 61B and all Minnesotans.

 

Ann Tobin and David Booth Southwest Journal