“As your Senator, you can count on me to be a strong champion for the issues that matter most to you!”
Guiding Values
Yakasah believes strongly in the values of respect, hard work, commitment to community, and practical solutions.
Top Issues
Yakasah prioritizes education, housing, healthcare, environmental sustainability, public safety, and criminal justice reform.
Endorsements
Learn more about Yakasah’s endorsements in support of becoming your next Minnesota State Senator.
Guiding Values
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Hard Work
As a former refugee and first-generation immigrant, I understand the value of hard work. Like many of my neighbors, nothing was given to me. My immigrant and working-class grit has propelled me forward and allowed me to overcome countless barriers in my personal and professional life. As your Senator, you can count on me to draw on this value to tackle the challenges facing our district and the great state of Minnesota.
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Respect
In these times of incivility and political divide, one of the most powerful ways to reestablish a sense of normalcy in our political discourse is by respecting the institutions that uphold our democracy. Our democracy works best when we can be passionate without belittling one another and speak up without silencing others. My experience working on disparate issue campaigns with diverse stakeholders provides me with a deep sensitivity to what it feels like to be on both the winning and losing end of an issue. In victory and defeat, I’ve always exhibited a high level of respect for adversaries and allies alike. You can count on me to continue to practice the highest degree of respect for the office of Senate.
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Commitment to Community
As a member and product of many communities, I am keenly aware that no individual’s success is owed solely to themselves. This is especially true for me. The love, care, and support that I’ve received throughout my life from my network of personal and professional advocates has sustained me throughout the years. I understand and appreciate the value of fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all. Strong and positive communities produce strong and positive members who in turn contribute to the betterment of society. This commitment to our community is one of the principal reasons why I am running to be your next Senator.
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Practical Solutions
The greatest outcomes often lie along the intersection of aspiration and practicality. My experience as a team leader in myriad roles has taught me to think in terms of the big picture, while also keeping sight of what is both materially and ideologically feasible. This approach has produced great success in my personal and professional life. I look forward to employing it on your behalf as your next Senator.
On the Issues
Early Childhood Care and Education
Early Childhood Care and Education is the bedrock of any society and the common thread linking many of the issues we face. Although Minnesota continues to outperform most states in education, crippling disparities persist for far too many students. It is therefore necessary to invest in the future of our state by supporting our children and the teachers that educate them by:
Early Childhood
Making robust investments in special education and student support staff
Supporting universal pre-k
Secondary Education
Supporting initiatives to intentionally recruit and retain educators of color
Safeguarding every student’s right to free meals to remove the stigma of free and reduced lunch
Safeguarding and strengthening the Read Act
Post-secondary
Expanding the state’s needs-based grants and scholarships
Supporting alternative teacher licensure programs and reducing the barrier to entry for aspiring teachers
Housing
Quality affordable housing is a human right that should be available to all. Advocating for fair housing on behalf of moderate and working-class families is essential to ensure that we meet the rising housing needs of our district and the entire state. As a Council Member, I helped bring 125 affordable housing units to the city of Falcon Heights. As your next Senator, I will continue to push for quality, affordable housing for the district by supporting state bonding initiatives intended to increase the stock of affordable housing. To meet the current housing challenges, we must:
Encourage community and intergovernmental collaboration
Preserve our current affordable housing stock and seek opportunities for providing diverse housing choices across the region
Fund programs that provide down payment assistance to moderate-income households to facilitate homeownership
Expand housing subsidies to middle and moderate-income households
Healthcare
A healthy citizenry is the bedrock of a healthy society. Yet, rather than bolstering our healthcare system, the recent attacks on our healthcare system is projected to leave as many as 250,000 Minnesotans without health insurance. This is contrary to the needs of our community with its increasing number of senior citizens, some of whom stand to lose their healthcare coverage. To ensure that our healthcare system works for our neighbors and all Minnesotans, I support the Minnesota Healthcare Plan, which would provide universal healthcare to all Minnesotans. A sound universal healthcare system would:
Provide quality healthcare to all Minnesotans
Cut the cost of healthcare by streamlining the healthcare system
Cover all healthcare-related procedures, including dental care, long-term care, and mental health
Allow patients to choose their healthcare providers and ensure continuous coverage
Environmental Sustainability
Climate change is real. While our leaders at the national and international levels have been far too slow and timid to offer bold solutions to meet the challenges of climate change, there are many things that can be done at the state and local levels to help advance energy sustainability. To adequately address climate change, we need a holistic approach, which requires:
Improving energy efficiency in our industrial, transportation, commercial, and residential sectors, and reducing our dependence on coal
Greater investment in research and development of energy-friendly technologies
Providing tax incentives for the development and use of clean, renewable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel
Increasing the cost of using dirty energy by imposing a carbon tax on polluters
Public Safety
I’m a proud father of a three-year-old boy and am excited to soon welcome my beautiful baby girl into the world. I want to raise my kids in a safe and healthy community, and like most parents, I will do anything to protect them. That is why I was so distraught to learn about the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation, only several blocks away from my own son’s childcare on August 27, which took the lives of 2 children and injured 21. No parent should ever have to bury their child due to preventable gun violence. It’s time to take serious action, including:
Passing universal background checks
Banning the civilian purchasing of military style assault weapons
Banning civilian access to high-capacity firearms
Instituting a buy-back program for automatic assault weapons and high-capacity firearms
Providing resources to support existing and new law enforcement education and training, emphasizing cultural sensitivity
Establishing a task force to examine the elimination of pretextual stops
