Jennifer A. McEwen (/məˈkjuːɪn/ mə-KEW-in;[2] born May 14, 1977) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), she represents Senate District 8, which includes the city of Duluth in St. Louis County. From 2021 to 2023, she represented Minnesota's 7th Senate District.
Jen McEwen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Erik Simonson |
| Constituency | 7th district (2021–2023) 8th district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 14, 1977 Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic (DFL) |
Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America[a] |
| University of Maine Hamline University School of Law | |
| Profession | Attorney |
Early life, education, and career
editMcEwen is a Duluth native who had received her B.A. from the University of Maine. She then attended the Hamline University School of Law, earning a J.D. She became an attorney for disabled workers and board president of the Damiano Center, where she has worked with families struggling with food security.[3] McEwen was also previously a public defender.[4] She has two children.[4]
Minnesota State Senate
editIn 2020, McEwen challenged incumbent Senator Erik Simonson for the DFL endorsement in District 7. She won the endorsement and the primary, with 77% of the vote.[5] She then won the general election against Republican nominee Donna Bergstrom, a second-time candidate who ran against Simonson in 2016, with just over 68% of the vote.[6] McEwen was reelected in 2022.[7] She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).[8]
In the 93rd Minnesota Legislature, as chair of the Labor Committee, McEwen oversaw reforms that required paid sick leave for all employees and banned non-compete agreements.[4] She authored a bill to increase the liability of contractors for wage theft.[4] She also wrote and sponsored the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which protects abortion rights in Minnesota, after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.[9][10] McEwen authored and supported legislation to reestablish passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, the Northern Lights Express.[11] In addition, she was the primary sponsor of a bill to provide $240 million to replace lead service lines across Minnesota, which passed and was signed into law in May 2023.[12][13]
See also
editExplanatory notes
editReferences
edit- ↑ Stein, Jeff (2017-08-05). "9 questions about the Democratic Socialists of America you were too embarrassed to ask". Vox. Archived from the original on 2018-11-11. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ "Senate Members' Pronunciation". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ↑ Aug 12th 2020 - 10am, Teri Cadeau | (12 August 2020). "McEwen advances to Minnesota Senate District 7 general election". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 1 2 3 4 Nesterak, Max (29 June 2023). "The players who made the big plays: Minnesota lawmakers worth watching". Minnesota Reformer. Archived from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ↑ "What a progressive DFLer's primary victory in Duluth says (and doesn't say) about politics and environmental policy in northern Minnesota". MinnPost. 2020-08-13. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ↑ "Index - Election Results". electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ↑ Passi, Peter (2022-11-09). "McEwen retains Duluth's Senate District 8 seat". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ↑ Dreier, Peter (2020-12-11). "The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot". Talking Points Memo. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ↑ Bierschbach, Briana (28 January 2023). "What you need to know about abortion bills moving at the Minnesota Capitol". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ↑ Derosier, Alex (2023-01-27). "Minnesota Senate set to vote on abortion rights protections". Detroit Lakes Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
- ↑ Derosier, Alex (24 January 2023). "Advocates of Twin Cities-Duluth passenger rail service say they are more optimistic about approval". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ↑ Derosier, Alex (2023-05-09). "Minnesota Senate approves $240 million for lead-pipe replacement". Duluth News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ↑ Wiley, Michelle (2023-05-16). "Walz signs $240 million lead pipe removal bill". MPR News. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-01-05.