Clare Oumou Verbeten

Clare Oumou Verbeten
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 66 district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byJohn Marty
Personal details
BornMinnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
EducationAmerican University (BA)

Clare Oumou Verbeten (/ˈuːmuː vərˈbeɪtən/ OO-moo vər-BAY-tən[1]) is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate for the 66th district since 2023. She and Erin Maye Quade were the first openly LGBTQ women and first Black women elected to the Minnesota Senate.[2]

Early life and education

Oumou Verbeten was born and raised in Minnesota. She grew up in Roseville.[3] Her mother is originally from Senegal.[3] Oumou Verbeten earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in law and society from American University in 2016.[4]

Career

As a college student, Oumou Verbeten worked as an intern for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, Women Winning, and the Democratic National Committee. She returned to the Minnesota DFL in 2016 as deputy public affairs director. In 2017 and 2018, she was the deputy political director for Tim Walz's gubernatorial campaign. After the campaign, Oumou Verbeten worked as deputy political director of the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters and as a community affairs specialist for Mortenson Construction. From 2019 to 2022, she served as an equity and inclusion program manager for the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[5][6]

Oumou Verbeten was elected to the State Senate in 2022. During the 93rd Minnesota Legislature, numerous bills she sponsored and supported were enacted, including bills banning no-knock warrants, allowing for free phone calls from prisons, and a cap of five years on probation.[3] She was elected to be an Assistant Majority Leader in March 2024.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Senate Members' Pronunciation". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  2. ^ Imse, Elliot. "Erin Maye Quade and Clare Oumou Verbeten Become First LGBTQ Women and First Black Women Ever Elected to the Minnesota State Senate; LGBTQ Representation in the State Legislature More Than Doubles". LGBTQ Victory Fund. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  3. ^ a b c Winter, Deena (29 June 2023). "The players who made the big plays: Minnesota lawmakers worth watching". Minnesota Reformer. Archived from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  4. ^ Ansari, Hibah (2022-11-09). "Clare Oumou Verbeten wins state Senate seat in east metro". Sahan Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  5. ^ "3 questions for the 3 Black women about to make Minnesota Senate history". MPR News. 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  6. ^ "Clare Oumou Verbeten". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  7. ^ "Oumou Verbeten, Clare - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-23.