MNA Nurse-Endorsed:
2024 Minnesota House candidates
Liish Kozlowski, 8B
MNA ADVOCATE
Kozlowski made their mark during their first term at the legislature by being a strong and consistent supporter of MNA’s work. As news of Mayo Clinic’s extortion attempts became public, few legislators were as visible and vocal in support of nurses, safe staffing, and MNA. Kozlowski was also a co-author of one of MNA’s key pieces of legislation, the healthcare merger regulation bill, and spoke up against the corporatization of healthcare in support of nurses in multiple committee hearings. Kozlowski also serves on the House Labor Committee, where they have strongly supported pro-worker, pro-nurse, and pro-union legislation.
Jeff Brand, 18A
Brand is a strong pro-labor representative who has co-authored MNA legislation in the past, such as the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, and will support future bills that address hospital closures. He supports nurses and believes they have the right to safe staffing and safe working conditions. He is committed to working to pass staffing ratio legislation. In addition, Brand has fought hard for pro-labor legislation like the Union Freedoms Bill that passed in 2023 and for UI for striking workers, which did not pass this year. He intends on organizing hard for it again next legislative session. Brand fully supports single-payer healthcare and is a co-author of Senator Marty’s Minnesota Health Plan.
Tina Liebling, 24B
MNA CHAMPION
Libeling’s steadfast leadership as the Chair of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee helped ensure that MNA nurses’ top priorities, the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act and the hospital merger regulation bill, moved through the legislative process. In addition to her role as chair, Libeling was a strong co-author of both bills and worked collaboratively with nurses on solutions to the challenges in healthcare in Minnesota. Chair Liebling’s work to advance healthcare reform in Minnesota is vital as she works with her colleagues to remove profit driven structures from our public health insurance programs and pave the way for single-payer healthcare in the state.
Andy Smith, 25B
MNA ADVOCATE
Smith stood out as one of MNA’s most effective and consistent supporters in the Legislature, garnering support for safe staffing through public-facing messaging. He used his social media channels to spread the word on KNABA and the issues nurses were facing at the Capitol with Mayo and MHA. He was also a strong, vocal supporter of the healthcare merger regulation bill during committee hearings as a committee member of the House Health Finance and Policy Committee.
Dwayne Voegeli, 26A
Voegeli is a proud union member, who has been endorsed by Education MN, a Healthcare Advocate for his local. He has been very engaged in the AFL-CIO and believes strongly that nurses and doctors should be making the primary health care decisions, not insurance companies or big pharma. Voegeli has brought his students to the Capitol, picket lines and protests to teach them about the historical fights in our country centered around race, religion, women’s reproductive rights, and the labor movement.
Erin Koegel, 39A
MNA ADVOCATE
Kogel has always had an open door for nurses at the Capitol, and truly believes in co-governing to create real change. She supported and voted for all MNA’s policy priorities during the two-year legislative biennium, including co-authoring legislation like our hospital closures bill and UI for striking workers. This year with the consolidation of services at Mercy and Unity, Koegel worked to get an amendment at the end of session to add public interest reviews when hospitals close or reduce services.
Sandra Feist, 39B
MNA CHAMPION
As the lead House author on the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act and the Nurse & Patient Safety Act, Feist worked tirelessly for safe staffing, workplace safety measures, and student loan forgiveness to protect, recruit and retain nurses at the bedside. In addition to her close work with MNA, she sought input from hospital stakeholders and legislators to improve and strengthen the legislation.
Ginny Klevorn, 42B
MNA ADVOCATE
Klevorn oversaw several positive changes and investments to state and local government during the 2023 session. She advocated for MNA priorities including increased funding for the Attorney General’s Office to investigate and prosecute antitrust cases, including healthcare antitrust cases such as those that have contributed to greater corporatization of healthcare. She’s a fierce advocate for increased transparency and accountability when it comes to the finances and transactions taking place in our healthcare system, likely one of the reasons she was such a strong supporter of the healthcare merger regulation bill.
Cedrick Frazier, 43A
MNA CHAMPION
Frazier is recognized by nurses as an MNA Champion for his work as an advocate for patients and healthcare equity and a strong voice for workers and nurses – fighting for safe staffing and better working conditions. During the last legislative session, he was a co-author of the Minnesota Health Plan, the Paid Family Medical Leave Act and legislation that eliminated legislature approval of state contracts. Frazier received a political award from MNA in 2021 due to his work as chief author on Frontline Worker Pay and voted in favor of all MNA legislation in the past legislative session.
Mike Freiberg, 43B
MNA ADVOCATE
Freiberg is a public health attorney, chairs the House Elections Finance and Policy committee, and sits on the State and Local Government Finance and Policy committee. Freiberg’s district includes the MNA hospital North Memorial, where he has met with nurses from the district numerous times, joined picket lines, and spoke publicly in support of nurses. Freiberg was a co-author of the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, UI for striking workers, HEAL, CEO pay cap legislation, and more progressive and pro-labor legislation. Freiberg has been endorsed by MNA for several electoral cycles as an MNA Advocate.
Peter Fischer, 44A
MNA ADVOCATE
Fischer has always been a strong and ardent support of MNA nurses and the labor movement, attending picket lines, and meeting with nurses in-district and at the Capitol. He is the current chair of the Human Services Policy committee and serves on the Health Finance committee. Fischer was also the co-author of the UI for striking workers bill, behavioral health grants and other mental health legislation, hospital CEO pay caps, our workplace violence legislation, and our hospital finance transparency and accountability legislation. HE was endorsed by as an MNA Advocate for his work on nursing and labor issues at the Capitol.
Cheryl Youakim, 46B
MNA SUPPORTER
Youakim comes from a union house, with her husband as a union teacher and herself an education paraprofessional and union member. She was first elected in 2014 and is currently the Chair of the Education Finance Committee. During the 2023 legislative session, Youakim voted in favor of the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, co-authored the Frontline Worker Pay bill and the extension of worker compensation presumptive eligibility for nurses and other frontline workers affected by COVID and voted in favor of all MNA legislation during the 2024 legislative session.
Mike Howard, 51A
MNA ADVOCATE
Howard has been endorsed by MNA nurses, most recently due to his work on the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, helping champion nurse issues at the Capitol, and his public support on our picket lines. He was able to work on major progressive house investments current the past biennium, including laws protecting against discrimination towards those in Section 8 housing. Howard co-authored legislation on ending the practice of junk fees, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), worker misclassification, ending tax loopholes for corporations, medical debt reforms, and many other progressive pieces of legislation. He also voted in favor of all MNA and labor legislation during that time.
Liz Reyer, 52A
MNA ADVOCATE
Reyer consistently advocates for progressive healthcare reform, fighting to provide Minnesotans with equitable, quality, and affordable healthcare. When Mayo Clinic Health System decided to blackmail the legislature and the Governor, Reyer’s Healthcare Affordability Board was named along with KNABA as one of the biggest threats to Mayo’s corporate power. She is also a strong advocate for nurses and is always willing to speak up for workers in the House Health Committee where she strongly supports pro-nurse legislation.
Rick Hansen, 53B
MNA ADVOCATE
Hansen is an ardent supporter of MNA, turning out to picket lines, and attending in-district meetings. He has stood with nurses and labor, and MNA has endorsed him for numerous cycles. Hansen supported and voted in favor of all MNA and labor legislation in this biennium. He was also a co-author on HEAL and in his role on the Legislative Audit Commission, worked with Rep. Emma Greenman to get our audit on hospital community benefit spending approved, which will result in a legislative audit expected in the next year. Hansen has consistently received MNA and labor support in every election due to his strong commitment to labor and the environment with not only his vote at the Capitol, but his participation on the picket lines.
Jess Hanson, 55A
MNA CHAMPION
Hanson worked hard this past session to advance the children’s mental health bill supported by MNA nurses, to drastically reshape the resources and systems in place to provide mental health services and supports to Minnesota children. She was also a fierce advocate for nurses as a co-author of both the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act and the hospital merger regulation bill, H.F. 402.
Kaela Berg, 55B
MNA CHAMPION
This past legislative session, Berg was the lead author on legislation to ban captive audience meetings for workers seeking a collective voice in the workplace, as well as a co-author the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act and legislation to regulate hospital mergers. Berg is a strong public advocate for the need to ensure safe staffing in our hospitals.
Robert Bierman, 56A
MNA CHAMPION
Bierman was the lead author of H.F. 402, the new law to provide critical oversight over healthcare mergers and acquisitions. Bierman’s efforts helped to pass one of the strongest laws in the country for the protection of healthcare workers and patients against healthcare monopolies, working closely with MNA nurses. Bierman also served as a co-author of the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act.
John Huot, 56B
MNA ADVOCATE
Huot is an emergency medical technician and a former member of MNA where he go his first experience lobbying for healthcare policy His focus at the legislature has been expansive, covering the areas of healthcare, education, gun reform, public safety and environmental causes. Huot would like to continue to partner with MNA, including developing programs that cover the cost of a nursing degree program as a way to recruit new people into the field of nursing and healthcare. During this biennium, Huot was a co-author of Keeping the Nurses at the Bedside Act, HEAL, hospital closures, UI for striking workers, and workplace violence legislation. He also joined nurses at the information picket and attended MNA events at the Capitol to show his support.
Sydney Jordan, 60A
MNA CHAMPION
In a session with many wins for workers, Jordan was at the forefront as the lead author of the Union Freedoms Bill which was included in the strongest labor omnibus bill ever passed in Minnesota. Jordan’s efforts helped to ensure that staffing ratios are now a mandatory topic of collective bargaining for public workers, including MNA nurses employed in the public sector. Jordan also signed on as a co-author of the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act.
Jamie Long, 61B
MNA ADVOCATE
Long is currently House Majority Leader and has been previously endorsed by MNA. His focus has been ensuring investments in housing, childcare, and climate change. Long has been public in his support for abortion rights, gender affirming care, criminal justice reform, and expanding labor rights in Minnesota. Long co-authored the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, the Union Freedoms bill, reproductive health expansions and protections, statewide earned sick and safe time, HEAL, and more. He has an open-door policy and has been collaborative with his approach to co-governance, always willing to meet with MNA staff and members and discuss pathways to pass our legislation while turning out to our picket lines in support of workers.
Emma Greenman, 63B
MNA CHAMPION
During this past legislative session, Greenman authored numerous bills to protect workers; she authored the Warehouse Worker Safety Bill and was a strong co-author on Paid Family Medical Leave and the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act. Greenman is consistently among the strongest voices in the legislature against the influence and power of corporate executives over workers.
Leigh Finke, 66A
MNA ADVOCATE
Finke is a powerhouse whose impact at the Minnesota Capitol is already taking shape through her strong advocacy for LBQTI+ and equity inclusion. As the first openly transgender legislator elected to the Minnesota legislature, Finke uses her skills and experience as a multimedia storyteller to help change how we talk about politics and change at the Capitol, including showing her support for the nurses’ fight during the final days of session and beat back on harmful MHA talking points. Finke’s understanding of the negative influence of corporate power is incredibly valuable in changing Minnesota politics.