About Sarah

Politics is about doing good things for people. Many people on both sides of the aisle don’t feel that is happening nowadays. I understand their frustration. 

After college, I lived and worked around the world. When I lived in the Dominican Republic, I saw extreme poverty with little hope to change a corrupt government. When I lived in Spain, I saw that access to clean water in a changing global climate is not an abstract idea. We live in a world where people, more than ever, need to feel hopeful about the future. 

My roots are in Winona. My experiences living in other places around the world taught me that we all have an obligation to help our communities thrive. I came back to my hometown because this is the community I love. My ties to Winona, through families, neighbors and friends, instilled values in me that epitomize the American Dream. However, I know that not everyone shares equally in this dream.

That is why I entered politics. Making change happen in the hardscrabble political world is how I believe I can make a difference in people’s lives. I know government: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Change does not come easy.  But I’ve worked at the Capitol on issues important to people in Greater Minnesota, and I have learned from our current Representative Gene Pelowski that with thoughtful leadership and sensible lawmaking, change is possible. And we desperately need change.

My day job is helping build democracy. I am the Chief of Staff for FairVote MN—a non-profit organization that advocates for democratic reform. This work keeps me directly engaged with lawmakers, and it has given me essential skills which help me push for practical bi-partisan improvements for the public good. I would be deeply honored to put my experience to work serving the Winona-area in the Minnesota House by making our schools and universities excellent places to learn, our water safer to drink, our housing more affordable, and our regional economy stronger.

My family has given me a moral compass that strongly points me toward helping those who face difficult challenges and need help to meet their full potential as citizens of this great state. My mom is the granddaughter of sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta, and she was the first person in her family to graduate from high school. My dad grew up outside of Austin on a hog farm which my grandparents had to give up during the 1980s farm crisis. To make ends meet, my grandma worked at Shopko late in her life. She taught me that tenacity is what keeps you going, and that an honest day’s work forms character and is something to be very proud of. 

My experiences have prepared me to serve. As a student of government, I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science. I have since put my education into practice working in public relations to help implement the American Rescue Plan Act in rural counties and townships across the Upper Midwest and in democratic reform for FairVote MN.

I bring strong values, determination, and the courage to stand my ground. In this race, I am the most electable candidate. I have proven that I can beat a Republican candidate in Winona precincts, toppling incumbent Jeremy Miller by nearly nine percentage points in the 2020 State Senate race, something that hadn’t happened in the 10 years he’d been in office and hasn’t happened since. In 2022, as campaign manager for Jeff Ettinger’s congressional race, I oversaw a $2.5M budget and helped Ettinger narrow his margin by 6 points in a Trump +10 district—a result cited as a bellwether nationally for the 2022 Midterm Elections.

Our campaign is a movement. In our ever-changing world, level-headedness in government seems like a radical notion during these divided times. Faith in meaningful change requires inviting everyone to the table. From rural residents worried about high property taxes to city residents concerned about affordable housing, from small business owners working to keep their businesses viable to citizens concerned about their rights to bodily autonomy and protecting our natural resources—this movement brings together thousands of Winona County residents who share a vision for common-sense government. Together we are fighting for critical decisions that will improve people’s lives. I hope you will join us.