Heather Keeler | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theMinnesota House of Representatives from the 4A district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Ben Lien |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1981-12-18)December 18, 1981 (age 43) South Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Moorhead, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | Minnesota State College Southeast (AA) Minnesota State University (BS,MEd) |
| Website | Government websiteCampaign website |
Heather Keeler (born December 18, 1981) is an American politician serving in theMinnesota House of Representatives since 2021. A member of theDemocratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Keeler represents District 4A in northwestMinnesota, including the city ofMoorhead and parts ofClay County.[1][2] Keeler is an enrolled member of theYankton Sioux Tribe.[3]
Keeler grew up on her tribal homeland inSouth Dakota, mostly living atFort Pierre. She moved to theFargo–Moorhead area while attendingMinnesota State University for herB.S. in project management andM.Ed. in educational leadership.[1]
Keeler worked atNorth Dakota State University as an assistant director of multicultural recruitment and volunteered in theMoorhead school district. While working with the school district, she served on the human rights advisory committee and as vice chair of Moorhead's Human Rights Commission.[1][4]
Keeler was elected to theMinnesota House of Representatives in2020 and was reelected in2022.[1] She first ran after four-termDFL incumbentBen Lien announced he would not seek reelection.[5][6]
She serves as vice chair of the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee and also sits on the Education Policy and Human Services Finance Committees.[1] From 2021 to 2022 she served as vice chair of the Preventing Homelessness Division of the Housing Committee. Keeler is a member of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.[7]
Keeler has been an outspoken advocate ofNative American human rights issues and for more native voices to be heard at the state legislature.[3][8] In 2021, she authored legislation that created an office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and carried subsequent efforts to increase funding.[9][10] Indigenous women make up one percent of the state's population but eight percent of women and girls murdered.[9]
Along with State SenatorsMary Kunesh andJen McEwen, Keeler authored a letter calling on theBiden administration to stopLine 3, a tar sands pipeline proposed to cut through Minnesota tribal lands.[11] She proposed legislation that would replace Minnesota's existingColumbus Day withIndigenous People's Day.[12] In March 2023, the chair of theRepublican Party of Minnesota criticized Keeler after she posted on Facebook about the adoption of native children by white families and wrote, "White saviors are the worst!"[13][14]
Keeler has supported efforts to increase the number of teachers of color in Minnesota.[15] In 2023, she authored legislation that passed with unanimous support to fund emergency food shelves in the midst of rising visits to food shelves.[16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Heather Keeler | 1,888 | 66.32 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Chuck Hendrickson | 959 | 33.68 | |
| Total votes | 2,847 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Heather Keeler | 11,487 | 56.67 | |
| Republican | Edwin Hahn | 8,748 | 43.16 | |
| Write-in | 36 | 0.18 | ||
| Total votes | 20,271 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Heather Keeler (incumbent) | 7,664 | 58.58 | |
| Republican | Lynn Halmrast | 5,403 | 41.30 | |
| Write-in | 16 | 0.12 | ||
| Total votes | 13,083 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
Keeler lives inMoorhead, Minnesota and has two children.[1] She is an enrolled member of theYankton Sioux Tribe.[3]
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