Cheniqua Johnson files in Ward 7

Cheniqua Johnson, DFL-endorsed candidate for Saint Paul City Council in Ward 7, filed to run for office alongside a historic slate of progressive, women of color.

“I’m so proud to file for office to represent Eastside neighbors in Ward 7,” said Johnson. “We are in a historic moment for Saint Paul with an opportunity to elect the first, all-women council that will work to improve the lives of all residents across our city. I am running to be the positive, community-focused leader who has the experience, relationships, and Eastside coalition to get things done with and for Ward 7 neighbors. I will be a fighter and advocate for more affordable housing, a communityfirst public safety plan, big funding investments in all our communities, expansion of our transit system, and ensuring that we do our best to protect our climate.”

Johnson is a lifelong Minnesotan, community organizer, and first-generation homeowner on the Eastside in Dayton’s Bluff.

As a Program Officer at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and member of the East Side Funders Group, she has worked to invest millions of dollars into local neighborhoods and organizations on the Eastside and across Minnesota. She is the sole candidate who has worked in every level of government, including for Governor Mark Dayton, Senator Al Franken, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Commissioners Angela Conley and Rena Moran. If elected, she would be the youngest and the second African American woman elected to the council.

Johnson has built the a diverse coalition of supporters in Ward 7. Endorsements of Cheniqua Johnson’s campaign include the Saint Paul DFL as well as unions and organizations like: The Saint Paul Firefighters, the Saint Paul Build Trades Council, SEIU State Council, LIUNA, Faith in Minnesota, Women Winning, and Stonewall DFL. She has also been endorsed by elected leaders like: Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Saint Paul Council President Amy Brendmoen, Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong, MN House Majority Leader Jamie Long, State Representative Jay Xiong, and many more. For a list of all endorsers and more information about Cheniqua Johnson, visit: cheniquajohnson.com.