Mali Anderson

Mali Anderson earned a high school diploma from Piedra Vista High School, a degree from Eastern New Mexico University, Roswell, in 2004, a degree from Texas A&M in 2004, and an associate degree from Ridgewater College in 2015.

Anderson's career experience includes working as a community volunteer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

We can make positive changes that benefit and strengthen our communities through connection and teamwork. The Way Forward is Together!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We must protect and defend The Constitution and Bill of Rights for All Human Beings.Our People need Universal Healthcare, affordable housing and utilities, living wages, and food security. We need affordable and accessible daycare. We need pathways to higher education for our youth, emphasizing job skills training so they can afford higher education. We need to protect the right for individuals to make decisions over their own health and reproduction instead of allowing the government to determine birth rates. Being pro-life should mean we fully support any children who are born into this world by creating, funding, and maintaining the social programs which support their existence. This includes prudently making life affordable for the village who raises them and for those who are aging to do so with dignity.We cannot thrive without unpolluted water, soil, and air. We must unite with the leaders of the Tribal Nations and protect the BWCA and the Headwaters of the Mississippi. We must support our small family farms who are losing money to keep us fed and are being consumed themselves, by corporations. We must maintain authority over our own food security and we need to invest in sustainable solutions. We must protect our pollinators and ecosystems. We can connect our communities and cut down on environmental pollution when we invest in pedestrian, bike, and public transportation systems. I oppose our people being rushed into admitting data centers at the behest of a federal government who has proven to act in their own self interest.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Safety:

Protect The Constitution and Bill of Human Rights for ALL; ICE OUT! Free and fair elections; Justice for victims and their families; Firearm safety and reforms; End this Illegal War! Abolish drafts; Protect the benefits of our Veterans; Keep rural hospitals open

Affordability:

Universal Healthcare for All; Housing and utilities; Living wages; Food security; Daycare and Headstart; Teacher benefits; Unionization; Higher education and skills training; Reproductive care and individually managed birth rates;

Environment: Sustainable farming; Protect the BWCA; Defend watersheds and pollinators; Improve public transportation; Grow hemp; Collaborate with Tribal Nations; Reject rushed, minimally regulated data centers.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has helped return agency to the People.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demands accountability.

Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury's authenticity inspires courage and connection.

Representative Adelita Grijalva demonstrated perseverance when Speaker Mike Johnson prevented her from being sworn into office to be the 218th signature required to release the Epstein Files.

Congresswoman Illhan Omar demonstrates strength by showing up to do her job when the President himself tries to demean and dehumanize her.

MN State Representative Heather Keeler has served with passion to give voice to injustice.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is an excellent teacher who connects the dots between cause and effect so people can see the bigger picture.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Empathy. Compassion. Courage. Humility. Teamwork. Dedication. Perseverance. If someone is hungry, we feed them nutritious food. If someone is thirsty we give them clean water to drink. If someone needs housing, we make sure it is safe and affordable for everyone. If someone is sick, we give them healthcare. If someone is different we make room at the table. When our farmers aren't able to break even, the soil is being depleted, and water is being polluted while Golden ball rooms are being prioritized, illegal wars are being fought with our tax dollars, and families can't afford to pay for basic necessities, it is more important than ever that we work together as a team. Running for public office is a statement to every citizen and branch of government of what you stand for and believe in. I believe in defending our Constitutional and Human Rights, protecting our vulnerable and struggling populations, committing to environmental stewardship, and making our district safe and welcoming for All people. Social programs are proven effective and they are affordable when the taxes necessary to enact them are proportionately required of the wealthiest members of our Nation instead of disproportionately burdening the lower and middle classes. Most of us are living downhill from the greed and corruption of people and corporations who lack empathy, compassion, and courage and who are dedicated only to their own self-interest and self-preservation. The reality is, we need each other and we have the power to create a better world for ourselves and our children, Together. That is the Way forward.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe listening, taking notes, and researching the issues that concern constituents are very important. Communication and a concentrated effort to keep people informed of what is happening and civically engaged, while restoring their sense of agency is vital to the democratic process. Many of us are struggling to get by. We need to make life affordable so it is easier for the public to engage with public policy making. The point of public service is to serve the public for a brief time and to make the most impact toward improving the lives of others and of the whole during that term.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I have a lot of life experience and I still have a lot I still wish to learn. I have lived in different States, and have traveled internationally. I meet people every day who share their own experiences and stories with me and I learn from them. I would like our younger generations to have equal opportunities of travel, cultural immersion, environmental stewardship, and higher education. These are important ways to learn about each other and our tangible world and create a shared sense of empathy and responsibility. I want to leave the legacy of an example of someone committed to life long learning who applied it so that future generations are able to live life fully, safely, and sustainably for the duration of their lifetimes. An educated, tolerance driven People can be an unstoppable force for the greater good. I want to leave the world better than I found it.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a dietary aide and house keeper at a school I was attending as a high school student.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I am thankful for the Affordable Care Act and a higher education, without which I wouldn't be here today asking for this responsibility of speaking up for those who also need Universal Healthcare, affordable housing, education, living wages, daycare, and food. I have had many hardships, and in my personal experience and research, stable health, safe housing, food, and higher education (something anyone can lose at any time through illness, age, or injury) is key to creating a stable society.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Checks and balances

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

There is a significant imbalance in the branches of our federal government, an authoritarian cruelty, and a lack of accountability that stems from it which is the greatest threat to all of our States, not just MN. It poses a threat to democracy itself. Even if that changes today, I suspect it will take the next decade to undo the damage so our People can thrive.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe when people of like-minded values come together to build policies that will make life better for the People, compromise is both necessary and desirable to achieve the best possible outcome and results. Teamwork is how the job gets done. Check and balances are how we hold ourselves and each other accountable.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have been endorsed by the local House District 17A delegates to the SD 17 DFL convention, and by the DFL Rural Caucus at this time.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

I remember the Columbine shootings in April of 1999