Alicia Kozlowski (/kəzˈlaʊski/;[1] Ojibwe: Ozaawaa Anakwad; born January 12, 1988) is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Kozlowski represents District 8B in northeastern Minnesota, which includes the city of Duluth and parts of St. Louis County.[2][3]
Alicia Kozlowski | |
|---|---|
| Ozaawaa Anakwad (Ojibwe) | |
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 8B district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Jennifer Schultz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 12, 1988 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | University of Minnesota Duluth (BA) College of St. Scholastica (MBA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Early life, education and career
editBorn in Duluth, Minnesota, Kozlowski is the child of a Mexican union electrician father and a Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe mother.[2][4] They were raised by their grandmother and adopted in adulthood by a native family.[5] Their adoptive father, Ray "Skip" Sandman, was an Anishinaabe spiritual leader and ran twice for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.[6][5]
Kozlowski is a first-generation college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2009 and a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Scholastica in 2017.[2][7][4]
From 2019 to 2021, Kozlowski worked as a community relations officer for the City of Duluth and Mayor Emily Larson, where they advocated to remove the word "chief" from city job titles and helped create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People Reward Fund, the first in Minnesota.[2][8][9]
Minnesota House of Representatives
editKozlowski was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. They first ran after four-term DFL incumbent Jennifer Schultz announced they would not seek reelection and would run for the 8th Congressional District.[2] Kozlowski defeated Duluth City Council president Arik Forsman in the DFL primary.[10] When they took office, Kozlowski became the first nonbinary member of the Minnesota Legislature, the second two-spirit member, after Susan Allen, and the first Mexican and first Ojibwe person to represent Duluth.[11][12]
Kozlowski serves on the Capital Investment, Economic Development Finance and Policy, Housing Finance and Policy, and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees.[2] They are the vice chair of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and a member of the legislator's first Queer Caucus, made up of LGBTQ+ members.[13]
Kozlowski was highlighted as part of Minnesota Public Radio's 2023 "Changemakers" series, which showcases Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds making an impact in the state.[5]
Political positions
editKozlowski campaigned on increasing support for working families through universal childcare and fully-funded education, protecting the environment through "prove it first" mining permit legislation, and affordable healthcare for all.[4]
Kozlowski is pro-choice and supports increasing abortion access for people of color, gender-expansive people, and immigrants.[14] They have spoken out in favor of legislation making Minnesota a "trans refuge state" for those seeking gender-affirming care and have pushed for creating inclusive schools and increasing housing access for disadvantaged communities.[15] Kozlowski authored a law adding gender-neutral bathrooms in Minnesota schools in 2023.[5]
Kozlowski supported efforts to increase funding for the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Native American women and girls are only 1% of Minnesota's population but made up 8% of all murdered women and girls from 2010 through 2018.[16]
Electoral results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Alicia Kozlowski | 14,593 | 70.95 | |
| Republican | Becky Hall | 5,929 | 28.83 | |
| Write-in | 45 | 0.22 | ||
| Total votes | 20,567 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Alicia Kozlowski | 17,440 | 68.53 | |
| Republican | Shawn Savela | 7,954 | 31.25 | |
| Write-in | 55 | 0.22 | ||
| Total votes | 25,449 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Personal life
editKozlowski lives in Duluth, Minnesota.[2] Their Ojibwe name is Ozaawaa Anakwad ("Yellow Cloud") and they identify as both nonbinary and two-spirit.[2][5]
References
edit- ^ Minnesota House District 8B Forum. PBS North. October 29, 2022. Event occurs at 00:11. Retrieved August 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Kozlowski, Alicia - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b c Hollingsworth, Jana; Lawler, Christa (August 5, 2022). "Voter's guide for Duluth and St. Louis County primary races". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ a b c d e Ki, Nicole (2023-06-21). "ChangeMakers: For two-spirit legislator Alicia Kozlowski, community is everything". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Hollingsworth, Jana (November 3, 2022). "Skip Sandman, an Anishinaabe spiritual healer, dies at 68". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ "Minnesota's first nonbinary elected state representative wins in Duluth". Bemidji Pioneer. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Galioto, Katie (June 19, 2020). "Duluth pushes to remove 'chief' from job titles, calling it offensive to Indigenous people". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Lawler, Christa (January 25, 2022). "Duluth creates reward fund to help solve crimes against Indigenous women". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Lawler, Christa (10 August 2022). "First-timer Alicia Kozlowski will face Becky Hall in House District 8B race". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Asher, Abe (2022-11-23). "Alicia Kozlowski elected Minnesota's first non-binary legislator". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Lawler, Christa (November 9, 2022). "Zeleznikar poised to oust longtime Rep. Mary Murphy in Minnesota House District 3B". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Stroozas, Sam (2023-01-17). "'Shaking things up': Minnesota's LGBTQ lawmakers see new strength at Capitol". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ The Associated Press (2022-12-27). "What Minnesota's most diverse Legislature means for policy". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Moini, Nina (2023-04-21). "This family moved to Minnesota to access gender-affirming care. More might soon". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Bierschbach, Briana (15 February 2023). "Leaders push for more funding to find missing and murdered Indigenous Minnesotans". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 8B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "2024 Results for State Representative District 8B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved November 18, 2024.