The average donation to first-time socialist candidate for Minneapolis City Council Ginger Jentzen is $25, and she accepts no corporate money. She’s running on a platform of citizen oversight of the police, rent controls, and a $15 minimum wage. She’s outraised any other candidate in Minneapolis history.
Minneapolis has long been a hotbed of progressive politics, and its pioneering use of ranked preferential ballots means that third-party candidates have a real chance – that’s what’s driven the campaign of mayoral candidate Raymond Dehn, backed by Our Revolution, and running on an exemplary progressive platform.
Jentzen cites Kshama Sawant, the socialist member of Seattle city council who successfully introduced a $15 minimum wage to the city, as her inspiration for getting involved in city politics.
Jentzen has been a key organizer in the fight for a $15 minimum wage in Minneapolis, a movement that won out despite a frustrating lack of support from city council.
The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Council, and the Building Owners and Managers Association have run a private smear campaign against Jentzen, sending out mailers warning their members about the “leading candidate” who represents a “progressive tidal wave.”