The Green Party of Minnesota has endorsed four candidates for statewide and legislative office in 2026 in its first round ahead of a statewide petition drive later this spring.
The party met at the Minneapolis Central Library on April 18 for its state endorsing convention, where delegates formally endorsed Steven Young for governor, Jane Kirby for lieutenant governor, Seth Kuhl-Stennes for secretary of state, and Ngone Niang for State Senate District 39.
The endorsements come ahead of a short petitioning window that will determine whether the candidates make the ballot. As the state Green Party is not currently recognized by the Secretary of State, each of the three statewide candidates is required to submit at least 2,000 valid signatures, while Niang, as a state Senate candidate, must collect 500. The petitioning window runs from May 19 through June 2.
In a statement announcing the slate, the party said that people are “waking up” to both the Democratic and Republican parties, which it blamed for unmet policy goals and the role of corporate and special interest money in shaping them.
“Corporate money and special interest money in both parties is likely the reason we don’t have universal healthcare, regulation on toxic chemicals, or superior public schools,” said Rachel Braaten, a co-chair of the Green Party of Minnesota. “It’s also the reason we have been funding a genocide abroad, racist immigration policies, and subsidization of the fossil fuel industry.”
The party also said it has seen both “dramatic growth and renewed interest” and hopes to use that momentum to position itself as an alternative to the two major parties. It also reiterated its stance that it will never accept any corporate money as part of that effort.
A member of the party’s Coordinating Committee also told Independent Political Report that this is the first time in 16 years the Minnesota Greens are fielding a candidate for governor. If successful in petitioning, Young would become the party’s first gubernatorial nominee since Farheen Hakeem in 2010. He said he plans to campaign statewide alongside the other candidates.
“I offer my congratulations to all the outstanding Green Party-endorsed candidates,” Young said. “I look forward to working with them in the weeks ahead to engage with people throughout the state to better understand their concerns and hopes and share our ideas to make our government more accountable, responsive, and effective, and make Minnesota a more just, peaceful, and sustainable place for everyone.”
The party said following the convention that this is its first round of endorsements and that additional local endorsements are still being considered, with this initial slate focused on races requiring signature collection.
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