Hodan Hassan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hodan Hassan
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 62B district
In office January 8, 2019 – January 13, 2025
Preceded by	Karen Clark
Constituency	62B (2023-2025) 62A (2019-2022)
Personal details
Born	(1982-02-01) February 1, 1982 (age 43) Somalia
Political party	Democratic (DFL)
Children	2
Residences	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Education	Metropolitan State University (B.A.) Augsburg University (M.A.)
Occupation	Legislator Mental health clinician

Hodan Hassan (Somali: Hodan Hassan; Arabic: هودان حسن) was born on February 1, 1982. She is an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Hodan Hassan represented District 62B, which includes parts of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota. She was an assistant majority leader for the House DFL group from 2019 to 2020. Hodan Hassan did not run for re-election in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Hodan Hassan was born in Somalia on February 1, 1982. When she was young, a war in Somalia made her family move to a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya, in 1991. Hodan moved to the United States in 1999.

She went to Metropolitan State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in social work. Later, she attended Augsburg University and received a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in social work.

Career and Community Work

Hodan Hassan is a mental health clinician, which means she helps people with their mental well-being. She is also the executive director for an organization called Pathways 2 Prosperity. Before her political career, she worked as a senior social worker for Hennepin County.

After a difficult event where her nieces were hurt, Hodan became active in helping her community. She worked to build trust between Somali Minnesotans and the government. In 2015, she visited the White House to discuss ways to prevent violence. Hodan also mentored young people. She believed that more job and community chances could help keep young people safe. She also led the Somali-American Task Force. This group gave ideas to the U.S. Attorney on how to stop people from joining dangerous groups.

Serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives

Hodan Hassan was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018. She was reelected every two years until 2024. She decided to run for office after the previous representative, Karen Clark, chose not to run again. Hodan won a tough primary election. She was the second Somali-American woman elected to the state legislature. The first was Ilhan Omar in 2016.

Hodan Hassan led the Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee. She also served on committees for Housing Finance and Policy, Ways and Means, and Workforce Development Finance and Policy. From 2020 to 2021, she was the vice chair of the Education Policy Committee. She was also an assistant majority leader for the House DFL group from 2019 to 2020. Hodan is a member of several groups in the House, including the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.

Working for Public Safety

Hodan Hassan was part of a group that studied how police use force. She has spoken out a lot about making changes to policing. In 2019, she asked a judge to be fair when sentencing a police officer.

After the murder of George Floyd, Hodan pushed for police reform. She also spoke about how Minneapolis police handled a traffic stop that led to the killing of Dolal Idd.

Improving Education

Hodan Hassan was the main author of a bill to change the state constitution. This change would make education a "fundamental right." She believed this could help fix differences in education for different groups of students. Hodan also introduced the "Increase Teachers of Color Act." This bill would give more money to schools that hire teachers of color from other states. In 2021, only 5% of teachers in Minnesota were nonwhite, but 34% of students were. She also suggested a bill to add a personal finance class to high school graduation rules. This would help students learn more about managing money.

Other Important Issues

Hodan Hassan worked on laws to help women of color get grants and support to start businesses. She also worked on a bill to teach people about the harmful effects of skin-lightening products. She wrote a bill to remove old eviction cases from a tenant's record. She argued that people deserve a second chance. Hodan also wrote an article asking for a fairer public transportation system. She wanted more investment in transit lines that go through communities that have been left out. She has also criticized ride-share companies like Lyft and Uber. She believes they need to improve how they pay drivers and handle working conditions.

Hodan Hassan has also shared her opinions on other political leaders. She did not support Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in the 2021 election. She signed a letter asking for a "new mayor" who would do more to help with racial fairness and public safety. In 2019, she supported Representative Ilhan Omar when she faced criticism. Before a visit by President Donald Trump, Hodan Hassan stated that his "hate, and his bigotry is not welcome in Minnesota."

Electoral History

Personal Life

Hodan Hassan lives in the Ventura Village neighborhood in Minneapolis. She has two children.