Don Samuels readies for round two—shares vision and opinions in a visit with MSR

Don Samuels, a contender for the 5th Congressional District, sat down in a pivotal discussion with the MSR on May 16, sharing his perspectives on local, national, and global issues. This dialogue sets the stage for another highly anticipated primary clash in August 2024 with incumbent Ilhan Omar. 

In 2022, Samuels and Omar engaged in a fierce battle, with Omar emerging victorious by a slim margin of 50.3 percent to 48.2 percent. Samuels, a prominent community activist, served on the Minneapolis City Council from 2003 to 2014.

MSR: Let’s start with the 2022 primary, which was very close. How confident are you that you can overcome that razor-thin margin?

DS: Well, last time around, we started in late March for an August primary. Our poll then showed that I had 28% name recognition, and she had 98%. This time around, we started in November. We did the same poll this year, and I had 75% name recognition, whereas I ended in the August primary, while she had 100% name recognition.

So, as name recognition grows, people get to know who I am, and my favorability grows. When August came, I was within two percent of her—even though I was recognized 25% less than her. 

MSR: Given that this is expected to be an extremely close race, is this all about who can turn out their base?

DS: To some degree. But it’s more about getting my name out there and people getting to know me. Also, I’m a very different kind of candidate from Congresswoman Omar. I have a very different background; when people get to know what that means—I have real connections to the community. And so those who don’t know about me will learn that I have an authentic public life and will be persuaded that I will be a better alternative.

MSR: Please tell us how you would approach these issues if you were to win the seat. What are your plans to stimulate economic growth and job creation in Minnesota’s 5^th Congressional District?

DS: Small businesses are the energy for the American marketplace as well as innovation, and for stimulation, employment is key; when people employ people from their communities, money recirculates. It’s important for me to go to Congress and make sure that small businesses are being promoted and protected until they get on their feet. 

Also, ensure that housing is affordable and homeownership becomes a common part of these communities so that people can build wealth. Stable families bode well for the economy, communities, and children tend to do well. 

MSR: What would be your plans to address the accessibility and affordability issues around health care?

DS: President Obama did a tremendous job bringing 50 million people from the margins of having no insurance. Obamacare isn’t perfect, but I think it can be tweaked and perfected, bringing more people in from the margins until everyone has universal health care. So, I’m going to Congress to work hard on that.

MSR: What initiatives do you propose to improve public education and support the teachers in the 5^th District?

DS: Education is very important to me; that’s how I have gotten to where I am. In 2003, when I had just joined the city council, I started a program called Peace Foundation to end violence in North Minneapolis. 

We had a lot of success, but around 2006, it became clear to me that 100% of the guys who committed homicides that year did not graduate from high school, and about 85% of the victims didn’t either. So clearly, we needed to go upstream and solve this education problem. We would eventually change the Peace Foundation to the Northside Achievement Zone, known as NAZ today. The federal government played a large part in that.

The government can identify bright lights of success, especially in lower-income urban communities, such as what organizations and programs balance outcomes for children. I will help find those bright lights of success, make sure we’re outcome-focused, find out what’s working, and bring those to scale for the good of community and equity.

MSR: What steps will you take to address climate change, environmental issues, and sustainability in the district? As we know, North Minneapolis has one of the highest asthma rates in the country.

DS: We can call it urban environmentalism. Some things are not directly related to climate change but are directly related to environmental factors, like lead poisoning. When I was on the city council, we made a lot of moves for funding, some from the federal government and some from the state, to ensure that lead poisoning risks were reduced. 

Then, there is the reality that people live close to freeways and toxic facilities. Climate change, changing heat, and tree thinning make it difficult for low-income families in urban areas. I will work on these things with a deep understanding and ensure that urban communities like Minneapolis, especially North Minneapolis, and cities like Detroit and Gary begin to see their health improvements. 

MSR: What are your plans for criminal justice reform and to ensure fair treatment for all citizens?

DS: I co-authored the Box the Box legislation in Minneapolis, the first in the state to do so. You no longer must check a box to indicate whether you have a felony so you can be considered objectively for employment, which became state law. Also, in my role as CEO of MicroGrants, I started the Lights-On program, which now means that when you are pulled over for a faulty head or tail light, instead of a confrontation, the officer brings you a voucher to repair the light for free up to $250. That program has been so successful that it has been brought to close to 200 cities and 28 states nationwide.

Our problems in law enforcement are driven by human values and relationships. When we begin to see each other as human beings, we will treat each other fairly. So, I will work on making sure the police treat everyone fairly. I will seek out areas in criminal justice that can be universally improved and turn them into legislation.

And we need enough police officers to keep us safe.