My Story of Running for Office

Ever wonder what it’s like to run for office? Hear from three Metro State alumni as they share the joys and challenges from their campaigns!

Co-hosted by Community and Civic Engagement Center, Career Center, and Alumni Relations.

About our speakers:

Andrea Jenkins represented Minneapolis's 8th Ward on the City Council from 2017 to 2026. While on the Minneapolis City Council, which has only had six other Black members, Jenkins served as chair of the new Race Equity Subcommittee and helped create a Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee consisting of city residents.

The 8th Ward that Jenkins represented includes the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue intersection where George Floyd was murdered in 2020. Jenkins was reelected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2021, and was named City Council President in 2022 in a unanimous vote. She did not seek reelection in 2025, and retired after her third term in office ended.

Jim Vue has been a resident of East Side Saint Paul for the last 20 years. He completed an undergraduate degree from Metro State majoring in History in 2015 and Masters of Liberal Arts Degree in 2017. Since then, he has successfully run for a seat on the Saint Paul Public Schools Board in 2020 and 2021. During his time on the board, he has held leadership roles as Vice-Chair and Chair of the school board and has led major school board initiatives including Board Initiated Goals Governance (B.I.G.G.), the H.M.O.N.G. Project and Txuj Ci Hmong Language and Culture Facilities Development.

Recently resigned from the school board in February of 2026, Vue is on an unofficial sabbatical and intends to pursue his PhD in Educational Leadership with the University of Minnesota in 2027.

Hodan Hassan is a public policy leader, community advocate, and former three-term member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she represented South Minneapolis from 2019 to 2024. A proud Metro State University alumna, Hodan has dedicated her career to public service, community empowerment, and creating opportunities for people to have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

During her time in the Legislature, Hodan served as Assistant Majority Leader, Chair of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, Vice Chair of the Education Committee, and Chair of the Economic Development, Finance, and Policy Committee. She championed policies focused on education, workforce development, housing, economic opportunity, mental health, small businesses, and racial and economic equity.