Don Samuels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Samuels
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| Member of the Minneapolis City Council | |
| In office February 14, 2003 – January 6, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Biernat |
| Succeeded by | Blong Yang |
| Constituency | 3rd ward (2003–2006) 5th ward (2006–2014) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 13, 1949 Jamaica |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Pratt Institute (BS) Luther Seminary (MDiv) |
Don Samuels (born May 13, 1949) is an American politician and community leader. He served on the Minneapolis City Council for over ten years, from 2003 to 2014. As a member of the DFL, he represented different neighborhoods in the city during his time in office.
After his time on the City Council, Samuels served on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board from 2015 to 2019. He is also known for his work with non-profits, including as the former CEO of MicroGrants, which gives small amounts of money to help people with low incomes.
Samuels gained national attention for his campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2022, he ran against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in the DFL primary election and came very close to winning. He ran against her again in 2024 but was not successful.
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Political Career
Minneapolis City Council (2003–2014)
Don Samuels first joined the Minneapolis City Council in 2003 after winning a special election. He was sworn in on February 14, 2003. During his time on the council, he focused on making the city a healthier and safer place for everyone.
Key Policies and Actions
One of his major achievements was sponsoring a ban on smoking inside public places in Minneapolis in 2004. This idea was later used for a statewide law in Minnesota.
Samuels also started a policy called "Ban the Box." This policy removed the question about past felony convictions from most city job applications. The goal was to give people a fairer chance at getting a job based on their skills, not their past mistakes.
North High School Comments
In 2007, Samuels made a strong statement about a local high school to bring attention to its low graduation rates for African American students. He said his words were meant to show that the education system was failing Black students and needed to be fixed. He later apologized for how he said it.
Other Political Activities
Samuels supported using public money to help build U.S. Bank Stadium for the Minnesota Vikings football team. In 2013, he ran for Mayor of Minneapolis but lost to Betsy Hodges. He did not run for re-election to the City Council that year, and his term ended on January 6, 2014.
Life After the City Council
After leaving the City Council, Samuels stayed active in politics. In 2014, he was elected to the Minneapolis Public Schools school board, where he served one term until 2019.
In 2020, Samuels and other residents sued the city of Minneapolis. They argued that the city was not meeting its duty to have a certain number of police officers. The next year, he was part of a successful campaign to stop a proposal that would have replaced the Minneapolis Police Department.
Campaigns for U.S. Congress
2022 Campaign
In March 2022, Samuels announced he would challenge Ilhan Omar for her seat in the U.S. Congress. His campaign focused on issues like preventing crime. He was supported by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and the city's former police chief.
On August 9, 2022, Samuels lost the primary election to Omar. The race was very close, with Samuels losing by less than 2,500 votes.
2024 Campaign
Samuels decided to run against Omar again in 2024. He and Omar had different ideas on public safety and governing style. However, they agreed on some topics, like protecting the environment.
During the campaign, Samuels made comments about Omar's connection with the people she represents, which some people found to be sexist. Samuels said he was talking about all politicians, not just Omar.
He lost the primary election on August 13, 2024, and Ilhan Omar became the DFL nominee for Congress again.
Personal Life and Community Work
Don Samuels was born in Jamaica on May 13, 1949. He was one of ten children. At age 20, he moved to the United States for his education. Before entering politics, he worked for 30 years as a toy and industrial designer. He lives in North Minneapolis with his wife and family.
Samuels was the CEO of a non-profit called MicroGrants. This organization gives small grants to people with low incomes to help them succeed.
MicroGrants also runs a program called LightsOn! Instead of giving drivers tickets for broken car lights, police can give them a voucher to get the light fixed for free. The program was started to build better relationships between police and the community. It was inspired by the story of Philando Castile, who was pulled over for a broken tail light before he was shot by a police officer.
